Calling Out Corporations

The matter lies before the eyes of all; everybody sees it, touches it, loves it, but knows it not. It is glorious and vile, precious and of small account, and is found everywhere... But, to be brief, our Matter has as many names as there are things in this world; that is why the foolish know it not.

- The Golden Tract
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(Credit)

HALLELUJAH & AMEN! Somebody finally said it! Corporations need to stop bashing social media and discounting people who actually understand it. NO, social media is not a magic wand. NO, it can't be done by anybody. NO, its not a fad. NO, its not a broadcast platform, its a conversation platform!!

So many corporations blame their lack of success with social media on the wrong things, instead of realizing the truth - their own incompetence is to blame. Hire people that understand social media, just like you would hire someone who understands marketing or finance. Take the medium seriously or you'll continue to participate in last rights rain dances.

That said, corporations SHOULD be doing things like blogging, assuming they can recognize the skill and dedication it takes. Avil Beckford makes it very clear why a blogging presence is necessary and how it helps corporations improve themselves. By encouraging an actual conversation with customers, corporations can successfully stoke the fires of profitability.

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Since nobody answered last week's question, the spotlight won't shine this week. But you're in luck, because here's another chance:

If you were a corporation, and could only pick one social media tool out there, what would it be and why?

Crowdsourcing...the new Crowdsurfing

"The science of alchemy I like very well, and indeed, 'tis the philosophy of the ancients. I like it not only for the profits it brings in melting metals, in decocting, preparing, extracting and distilling herbs, roots; I like it also for the sake of the allegory and secret signification, which is exceedingly fine, touching the resurrection of the dead at the last day."

- Martin Luther's Table talk

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Congrats to Ricky! I liked his answer to last week's question the best:

"My dream job title: (1) CEO of ESPN, Inc. (2) Director of Business Development for a firm with operations in Caribbean/Central America/South America (3) Host of the Saved By The Bell 25th Anniversary Reunion Show."

Don't ever let go of your dreams, Ricky.


Crowdsourcing

Message to Corporate America: FIRE YOUR MANAGERS! Well, not really, but that's what author Jeff Howe is implying as he describes crowdsourcing here:



A fascinating topic in its own right, crowdsourcing has actually been around for a while, though not in the definition Howe applies to it. While he says it replaces jobs previously held by one person, I think it is just a method of data collection. Its like those game shows where you can poll the audience for the right answer. It just takes advantage of the "hive mind" to aggregate thoughts into a coherent answer.

I think it is a fantastic way to discover information, but I hardly think its a job-replacement phenomenon. You still need managers to interpret and analyze data. Often times the public doesn't always have all the information to be making the best decision.

Social Networking: Getting in Touch the CRM Way (Here)

Remember this term: introduction brokers. I'd never heard social networks described that way, but this article nailed it on the head. It doesn't mean anything to know your friends, you want to know THEIR friends because THEIR friends might be able to get you that job you want or introduce you to someone else who can help you.

The CRM technology the article mentions seems like it could be useful, but really social sites like LinkedIn do a great job of allowing anyone to successfully manage their networks. In fact LinkedIn played a large role in me getting my last two internships, as I was introduced to people at both firms via contacts in a friend's network.

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Question of the week:

How has networking opened doors for you recently?

Its a Data-Driven World...I prefer BMW's.

"I had discovered, early in my researches, that their doctrine was no mere chemical fantasy, but a philosophy they applied to the world, to the elements, and to man himself."

-W.B. Yeats, Rosa Alchemica

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Happy Saturday everyone. I hope your three-day holiday weekend is off to a good start. Its actually fairly mild here in DC at the moment, but the forecast is calling for a temperature drop and rain tomorrow so bollix to that.

The meat of this blog will contain weekly reaction to various subject matter within the sphere of social media/networking. Please feel free to agree, disagree, or go completely off the reservation with your own comments. Let's get started.


Visualizing the US Senate by Social Graph
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8I5iMa_VV0)

I'd like to disclaim I am not as knowledgeable about our beloved political system as I should be. It always seemed like such a bore to me growing up that I never really bothered to learn much about it. That said, ever since the last election, I've been anxiously trying to educate myself about all things political. Not just issues, mind you, but actually how our government functions and "gets things done." So anytime I find a tool that helps me better understand how things operate, I get very excited. I am definitely a visual learner as well, so this video explaining the Social Graph tool is pretty darn interesting. You really get a sense for how the Senate voting structure fluctuates around different periods of time and issues.

What I will be interested to see is how the voting structure looks after the mid-term elections are finished (they start November 2). I've noticed a lot of chatter recently about how a bunch of democratic seats are in jeopardy of being lost to republicans due to the lack of policy passed since so many promises were made during the election.


Real-World Social Networks vs. Facebook 'Friends'
(http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/16-08/st_thompson)

This article was spot-on and refreshingly unapologetic in its assessment of the corporate world. The fact is, managers really don't know what's going on all the time. That's definitely a blanket statement but based on my experience, very true. I will deviate from the author's notion that the reason involves overworked and overstressed managers. I think a more common reason is the fact that managers don't want to know what's going on all the time because:

1. They're lazy and content to sit back and delegate.
2. It gives them someone else to blame if something goes wrong ("Well they never told me this...")

But would this 'reality mining' actually help companies? I'm mixed on the idea. Yes it might tighten a network, but I think most people would feel uneasy about the data collection process and might not act like they normally would. I know I wouldn't.

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So I'd like to end each section with a question of the week. The best response will be featured in the following week's blog posting. Have a great weekend everyone.

When you graduate from Kogod, assuming the stars align, the salary is right, and everything is good in the world...what would the title of your dream job be?

Welcome to the Jungle

What's up everyone? My name is Andy Stief and this is my blog about all things social media. I thought I'd start things off with a joke....hey, did you hear that the Energizer Bunny got arrested today for battery? Haha, poor guy.

I'm a student at American University in the MBA program. This is my last semester and I'm very anxious to be done with school and get back into the working world. I'm writing this blog as a requirement for a class, but I've blogged previously and am looking forward to expanding my experience level.

Now the legal mumbo-jumbo...

On my honor, all posts on this blog are my own.

Wondering about the name of my blog? You'll have to keep reading to find out. See ya!