Corporate Transformation

How to do real-world Social Media in an Enterprise - it's NOT Vanilla Ice Cream!

I'd like to share with you the work I'm doing on "The Social Value Chain".  

This is quite important for all Enterprises, Organizations, Operating Corporations, Multi-Product - Multi-National Companies and PE Firms, since the Social "stuff" floating around all over today does NOT work well for the Enterprise.  

It appears that every other Consultant on the street today is a “Digital Media Strategist”.  Every marketer became a Social Community Expert.  Graphic Designers have become Social Platform Builders.  And the hype around “Social” continues …

For an Enterprise, a Corporation and real operating entities, the value of “Social” is NOT uni-dimensional.  Nor is it in a single corporate Blog, a plain-jane Twitter account or even in a copycat Social Community tool.

An Enterprise can benefit more so from “Social” than a flat organization.  The real impact of Social Media and Social Communities lies hidden inside a corporation's Value Chain and in their operational efficiencies. Remember Michael Porter’s Value Chain?

To implement an effective Social Media & Community Strategy, you need a Social Value Chain Methodology that delivers improved Sales, Marketing, Operational efficiencies, Brand/Customer Loyalty and Financial results - throughout the entire Value/Supply Chain.

All (that I've seen to date) of the so-called Social Media Strategists completely ignore the Value Chain - because they don't have broad Operational experience!  As an example of successful implementation, by embedding a Social Value Chain in one company, a number of complete Business Processes have been replaced with a less expensive alternative - powered by Social Communities!

The Social Value Chain requires a seasoned understanding of the Supply/Demand Chain, the entire enterprise’s Value Chain, operational KPI’s and a deep, visceral mindset that thinks in terms of Social Media & Community persona's.

Oh, and by the way, you would be well advised to use a Methodology that seamlessly melds the above.

Is your Value Chain “Social”? Is it plain Vanilla?

Here is how a Corporation / Enterprise implements real Social Media Strategy & Methodology across all of it's Value Chain: http://slidesha.re/d5C9I9  

Ytzik Aranov

Social Media Architecture - all the Rage!

Hey, what's all the rage today?

Social Media. 

It's like saying the word "Alchemist" in the first Millennia, or "Wizard" in the Middle Ages, or "Freemason" in the 1800's, or Web 2.0 in the early 2000's.  It invokes visions of the secret, dark arts.  It gives one the stamp of "I know the real state of the world".  It attempts to connotate that all previous attempts at web marketing are useless now and there is a new paradigm dimension one must enter.

You know, it's funny, though, that I see whenever many of these "paradigms" pop up (unless they are a truly new technological discovery), the common theme among them all really is "Common Sense".

Unfortunately, we have all lost our common sense here and are being made to believe that Social Media Marketing & Networking is some new technological discovery that obsoletes all before it and if you are not on the bandwagon, then, well, you must be over the age of 25 or senile!

It's how to apply Social Media to your business that makes the difference and makes it effective - or not.

My good friend and one of the foremost Social Media Architecture & Marketing experts I know today, Alex Romanovich, founded a Think Tank called "Social2B"  - of which I'm honored to be a participant in.

Alex publicly asked the question on LinkedIn

What role do you think that Social Media Marketing 'Architecture' will play in the success of a company?"

My answer is very simple - and it's Common Sense!

Like all Information Technology Architectures, the Social Media Architecture is no different. 

A company must first define who are their Customers/Constituents, the desired results (Sales, Loyalty, etc.), the Product/Line/Service mix, the Marketplace into which they are selling, the data associated with the Customer/Product/Service/Market, the Business Processes, corporate goals, etc. 

Once that is mapped, then a Social Media Marketing Map is created that identifies where the Customers, Suppliers, Service Providers, etc., are located. This is obviously created based on the intersects between where they are and data from Step 1. Then both data architectures (e.g., the results of the analysis) are mapped to each other - and then an Architecture with a Social Media Marketing Strategy & Social Media Marketing Campaigns emerge. 

Jumping into Blogging, or Social Communities or Facebook, etc., without conducting the preliminary analysis and Strategic mapping is like driving to a meeting while hoping that on the way, the people you are meeting with will give you the address. 

Think, Then Do! 
Measure Twice - Cut Once!! 

Ytzik Aranov

>> See Alex's question and a number of answers here.

The New Social Media Dashboard

Your car has one.  Your cell phone has one. Your dishwasher has one too!

Your Career focus needs one as well.

Create a Career Dashboard to channel your efforts in your targeted dimensions of activity.

Do this:

1. READ Mike Fruchter's How restaurants can use social media 
2. READ Mike's Netvibes: The New Social Media Dashboard
3. Go build yours
4. Monitor it
5. Respond responsibly and frequently!

Twitter is a hundred times better than Google for market research!

So, are you using it correctly?

See the video clip from Mark Shaw and then make a list of the targeted segments you could be searching for to market your product and/or service to Prospects in your target locations.

Twitter Market Research