Scott Moroney

Does Your Board of Directors Blog?

How many Board of Directors blog about their company?

How many Board of Directors know many of their employees?

How many are in tune with what their employees or customers really really really need/want from the company?

Are they blogging about any of this?  I doubt it in all cases.

Why?

They are a bit disconnected by nature, but that is not the reason I am thinking of right now.  I would guess they don't blog because they don't have enough context to talk about.  Blogging requires context and genuine involvement/interest/voice.  If you don't have it, leave the keyboard alone.  This is why many companies leave the blogs alone...they don't have these things or don't want to share what they do have with employees or the buying/influenced public.

This leads me to the main point.  It is not exactly about blogging.  I am wondering if a Board should know more about their employee base or customer sentiment...and be able to blog about it (inside or outside).  It seems like a cool notion to see if there is a board that could do this. 

Just wondering about this notion.  Any feedback or enlightenment out there?

iCarly It Is Not, but The Kids are Learning to Shoot Video

As I learn more and more about video I figured "why not get my kids involved and learn with them as well".  I took them to a local BMX Park to shoot some footage of me riding the trails.  We had a great time and learned allot about video.  Specifically, they learned where to position themselves for a good shot, how to capture action and the importance of timing.  Of course at their young ages they don't realize they are learning these things, but I can see them getting better. 

Whatever the subject, I am hopeful they will keep shooting and learning.  I enjoyed it and they seem to have a knack for it.  Enjoy.

Check out Taylor and Paige's Mini BMX Movie. Thanks to the Town of Littleton MA for the park and to the locals that have built it. Lots of fun.

Twitter Followers Tip - Follow the First Person Featured

Why do you use Twitter?  Information, interesting people, links to this and that...and of course to be a smarter social mediarite (no not meteorite).    We all use it a bit differently to some degree.

One of the reasons I use it is to find interesting people that I can learn things from relative to my interests.  Bikes, social marketing, cool stuff, anything. 

Here is a tip.  Start with one person you find interesting and follow them.  When you are on their page, select the first person they have on their follow list.  Then do this over and over.  You ask why?  This person is likely the first person they selected when they joined the twitterverse...and maybe someone with some influence, something interesting enough to get some to open a Twitter account and of course someone that has been involved longer than you...meaning they may have something to teach you.  Keep in mind that depending on the Twitter tool you are using this could be easier or harder. 

Simple.  Do this enough and you are likely to have a pretty good list of people to follow.  This is a simple, yet non-scientific, way to qualify your follow list a bit. 

What do you think?  Let me know if you think my first follow is interesting or not. 

Social Media is actually "Marketing" Packaged Up Differently

I am not the world expert on marketing or social media, but I do see that they are one and the same in a simplistic way.  When you are considering taking the plunge or not with social media you are essentially asking yourself if you want to be involved in "marketing" or not.  I would guess if you are struggling to sign up for Twitter or listen to your customers in some community site then you are not doing much marketing anyways. 

Do I sound bitter?  Hope not.  I am pretty optimistic about how "social media" is reopening the conversation about why companies, groups and ideas need marketing.  Yes!  Your thinking about marketing again for for the first time.  This means you have some interest in what your customers are screaming to tell you through the available media.  Search your company, product, group, leaders names in search engines.  You may be surprised what you find.  You might be thrilled.  Go for it.  Who knows?

Best of luck.  Marketing is marketing.  The form it takes will evolve again and again as long as there are people buying things, promoting an idea or organizing events for people.  Enjoy and welcome to the party.

Boost Your "My Name" Search with Google Profiles

You know how important it is to own the first page of Google or Yahoo when someone (employer/client) searches on your name.  It means the difference between credibility and none if you are in the marketing game in any way.

To boost your chances, register a "Google Profile" today.  I did it the other day and expect the results to prove that I am right on this notion.  Why?  Who else but Google knows search.  They own nearly 80% of the search traffic in the US today. 

It is really simple.  Five minutes tops if you know where to find your existing info/links.  Let me know if it helps.  Run a search on Google and Yahoo today and then a month later after getting the profile.  I will let you know what I find as well.

My Google Profile.

Twitter Stats Don't Tell the Whole Story

One of the most startling statistics to social marketing practitioners is that most of the Twitter traffic is generated by a very small number of users, many of which are the aforementioned "social media experts".  Sure this can seem like a rouse perpetrated by a group of people trying to make a living by creating some hype.  The reality is in fact that they are actually creating the framework of how people, brands and ideas can proliferate their message in a new communication medium.  I like to view it much like any other technology development/introduction.  When Cisco plans to introduce the first wireless routers for use in homes a critical part of the product development is testing.  They push the limits over and over of the product to see what it can handle. 

What is happening with Twitter right now is not much different.  Social media experts and the like are pushing and testing the tool to see what they can do for their clients.  Look at Dell and Comcast.  They are do well as early adopters of the technology.  Why?  They jumped in early and are doing their testing on the fly.  This is a bold move that most companies were not willing to try. 

Next time you hear that Twitter is just some marketing people promoting themselves, think again about how it is just the tip of an iceberg that will be/is a new communications medium just being tested.

Image:  Bindermichi

Wisdom of Chinese Proverbs - Everyday Swimmer

As you have read here before, there is great wisdom in history...more specifically in the wisdom of Chinese proverbs.  This one is arguably not a proverb in the classic sense, but it qualifies by my standards since it is not common, is though provoking and teaches you something.  These are my standards for a proverb, along with of course that the saying have some historical roots.  I did some research on it after originally thinking I had coined the phrase myself.  Not the case.  It as it's roots in a basic Chinese tenet, serving your customers and community with the utmost respect and care.

"Be and everyday swimmer in your customer's pool"

This is customer-oriented if you have not figured that out already.  If you did, then you already get it.  If not, read on.

Being an everyday swimmer in your customer's pool means that you understand your customer, you live in their world, you are in such close contact that you have a first-hand appreciation for what they need/want/will invest in or pay to have in their hands.  If you don't/can't swim in their pool you can't possibly have this level of intimacy with them.  If you don't have this, you don't have a customer that will show you the loyalty and repeat business that a partner shows another.

Partner is the key word.  You want your customers to be your partner.  You swim in your friends pool and you invite them into to yours. 

"Be and everyday swimmer in your customer's pool"

Powerpoint...Don't Follow the Crowd Off the Cliff

How many presentations have you sat through where you prayed for the end or tried to guess how many slides this person could possibly have left? 

Have you ever wanted to stand up and ask for a 3 minute summary up front because this is all anyone will remember? 

Or, have you ever walked away during a teleconference where someone narrates every word you can see on the display?

ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrr.  UGHHhhhh!

This all sounds rude, but it really is not.  What is actually rude is requiring us all to sit through these presentations with no skill or training by most of us on basic presentation practice and etiquette.   Really this is in fact rude.  Think about it.  Would you be offended if you went to a funeral and the pastor stumbled through a eulogy for your loved one?  You expect more in this context.  Why do you tolerate it in other contexts? 

I recently received an article from my brother-in-law that made me consider these thoughts.  He shared an article about some folks in Tokyo that have gotten it right and serve as a good example.  For those of you that want to go one step further with presentation excellence, take a look at the Brainshark website.  It is a great tool from a company in Boston that "gets it" when it comes to Powerpoint and presentations.  While your at it ask for Jason Salluce.

Image:  Slworking2