A Bigger Voice

Jeremiah Owyang, Part 3: Starting and Growing a Community

"People would rather have [a] knowing they are accepted and appreciated. That's far more important than lining one's wallet...This is about the core essence of humans connecting with other humans." --Jeremiah Owyang

In this last installment of my interview with Jeremiah Owyang, we talk about the increasing influence of communities, ways to kickstart a community, and best practices on growing a community. Be sure to listen towards the end of the interview for a discussion about social capital. Jeremiah talks about a revealing experiment conducted by a major high tech company on community-building.

This last segment is under 9 minutes in duration.

 

My thanks again to Jeremiah for his generous spirit in sharing what he knows with the ABV community.  He took his own personal time (on a weekend!) to do this interview, which says a lot about his commitment and passion for this topic.

Places to connect with Jeremiah:

Blog: www.web-strategist [dot] com

Twitter: @jowyang

friendfeed

LinkedIn

Flickr

Jeremiah Owyang, Part 2: The Nature of Communities

"When you are spearheading a movement, you are relying on the groundswell that happens within the community. The community is in charge."
--Jeremiah Owyang

In this second part of a three-part interview, Jeremiah Owyang talks about the nature of communities and the role of the community manager. Most surprising take-away? You can't rely solely on online community-building. It must be supplemented with in-person connections. In Jeremiah's words:

"If you want to be a true advocate within your market or community, you really do need to connect with them in person. If you are serious about community, you should be an advocate, helping them, leading them, and that should be online and off."

Listen in as I start off asking Jeremiah about the differences between online and offline interactions. The interview is a little over 8 minutes long.

 

Look for the last installment of our interview. Jeremiah and I talk about the unpredictability of communities, social capital, and how rewarding behavior is a stronger incentive than money.

Interview with Jeremiah Owyang, Part 1

This is the first of a three-part interview with Jeremiah Owyang, a social computing analyst with Forrester who is an expert on building communities. While his clients are businesses using community-building to meet their business objectives, Jeremiah's wisdom can be directly applied by wisdom entrepreneurs who are building communities to support their social good objectives.

Jeremiah starts with his definition of community, explains how to get started in connecting with your audience online, and ends wiith a practical discussion about how to find your kindred spirits. Be sure to listen for his view of who is online these days and why it's important to look for your community online. The audio is under 12 minutes in duration. 

 

I've often told people that a thorough read of Jeremiah's blog is like getting a master's degree in social media. And what I hope you can see from this brief snippet of what he knows that it's not about the tools, it's what you do with them. His focus on community-building is a perfect match for what wisdom entrepreneurs need to know to be successful.

In Part 2 of our interview, Jeremiah talks about the need to combine online with in-person community building, the role of online community managers, and the nature of communities. Stay tuned.

What Do You Want More or Less Of?

I've been blogging on A Bigger Voice since December 2007. It never crossed my mind to ask you, the reader, for feedback to shape what I blog about. Until now. I'm interviewing Jeremiah Owyang soon and in our pre-interview meeting, he gave me a food for thought on asking my community what they want more or less of.

The reason I'm interviewing Jeremiah is because he's a master at building communities, as well as a social media analyst for Forrester. I know I'm going to learn a lot from him. And so will you. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, let me know what you want more or less of on this blog.

Update on Networking Naturally Program

In offering the Networking Naturally Program, I'm realizing it's become a case study for A Bigger Voice. I'm seeing how the model works "in the field." Some thoughts:

• Crystallize: It was difficult for me to develop this program, to help others learn to network better and realize the benefits of networking, until I could get to the essence of what would make this program different. Ahhh...the sweet feeling of innovation--a new solution to an old problem!  When I hit upon the idea that there are underlying principles that successful networkers use, independent of their personality and style, I tapped into my own wisdom. That led me to the name of the program, "Networking Naturally," and marketing copy that described what it is that I was offering. The stunning result has just emerged from recent activity on the participant-only blog: A Community of Givers. Participants were asked to answer the question, "What do you want help with?" It wasn't too long after the answers came in on the blog (as comments) that I could see participants giving first before asking for anything. This one of the principles of Networking Naturally.

• Build Community: There are three primary tools for building community, Marketing, Networking, and Technology. In addition, communities are built around a central question, one that is expansive enough to keep everyone engaged for a long time. The central question for the community forming around the Networking Naturally Program is, "How do I network more naturally and more effectively at the same time?"  A great question to explore as there's no quick answer. Marketing this program has shown me the wide range of tools that are now available--from email announcements to my ezine list to talking about the program on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, to postings on three blogs (all my own.) Networking has played a large part in getting the word out--via my connection to the Northwestern University Alumni Association. This is a relationship that started several years ago when I did a series of interviews with Northwestern alums for a Northwestern-sponsored career podcast. I'm learning that networking with groups that have a large distribution list can accelerate the path of a wisdom entrepreneur, by delivering a critical mass that becomes the core of the community. Technology has been the final piece of the puzzle, creating a sense of community from people coming together all over the world (literally!) to learn about networking. I set up a participant-only blog, thinking it was just a central repository for information. It's been that and more, one of the great success stories of the Networking Naturally Program. To give you a sense of the activity, in the first week alone, there were over 3000 hits on the blog. You can use Marketing, Networking, and Technolgy well and still not have a community. My colleague on A Bigger Voice, Ellen Ingraham, who served as the networking consultant during the pilot last year, has a been a wonderful partner in creating a culture of giving and role-modeling community-building skills. She's a natural at both.

• Sustain. Efforts are underway to look at how to sustain this Community of Givers, after the program ends on April 29. I purposely did not monetize as much as I could have from this first go-around on Networking Naturally Program, when community-building and giving back was really the intention. The fee for the public is $37 for all four teleseminars. 100% of the fee from those registering through Northwestern University (as a partner in marketing this program) is being donated back to Northwestern, to fund future career programs for alumni. Monetizing, to create sustainability, will come afterwards. 

There's still time to be join in--to get an inside view of community-building, as well as learn some valuable networking skills, and to connect with a community of givers. All sessions (MID-DAY and EVENING) are recorded and replays are available through May 31, 2009.  Go to www.naturalway2network.com to register.

Biggest Mistakes Made By New Twitter Users

Recently, I've gotten new followers who are just starting out on Twitter. After just a couple of months actively using Twitter, I can see things that newbies should know in order to get the most out of this tool. Here's my list of biggest mistakes made by new Twitter users: 

Photo by dpstyles.

1. Protecting your updates. Twitter  is about a conversation with many people, at the same time. If you wanted  a private conversation with only your friends, it's better to use something like Facebook. When you make your updates public, it opens up the possibility that someone like-minded will find you, just from what you are tweeting about.  BTW--I made this mistake. I was on Twitter for months with little or no activity. It wasn't until @iPatti advised me to make my updates public that I started to "become part of the stream" that makes Twitter so enticing and rich. Photo by AMagill.
2. Not following enough people. Another mistake I've made. I advise new Twitter users to follow at least 20 people right off the bat (more is preferable.) Why? Because given 20 people, you will see 20 distinct ways that individuals are using this robust tool. Observe and pick the best of what fits you. See my post, Observations of a New Twitter User, for a few of the many ways Twitter is used. Get enough of a sampling of what's possible. This will trigger ideas on how you want to use Twitter.
3. Not sticking with it long enough.  This relates to the previous item.  Follow 20 people for 10 days. Watch the stream, as it reveals the different dynamics, protocol, and styles of using Twitter. Without a big enough sampling, you are working in, heaven forbid, a Twitter vacuum. (Really is there such a thing? Yes, she says, nodding wisely. Been there.)
4. Intermittent use. Okay, this also relates to the previous two items. If you think you can dip your toe in the water and start to "get" Twitter, you'll go years (in Internet time, that is) with just a wet toe and nothing else. Toe-dipping doesn't work. I tried that one already. Go for the full-body immersion (a sort of online baptism, if you will) and you'll be swimming in the Twitter stream in no time. Photo by dboy.
5. Thinking it's a one-to-one conversation. Actually, you don't have to be a newbie to make this mistake. These are the people that have a long list of tweets that begin with "@" and something cryptic that obviously requires some context. In the really old days, this would have been like listening in on a party line (really, I'm not that old, I've just heard about them) and only hearing snippets of one side of the conversation.  You quickly lose interest. Twitter, at its best is inclusive, rather than exclusive.
6. No info about you. These are the people without a link in their profile to  provide additional background. There's usually a generic bio like, "Likes people and interested in making money on the Internet." Okay, not that bad but you get the idea. At that point, the only thing I have to discern who you are is your tweets, which likely are written with a big dose of self-consciousness when you are starting out. Think of it this way:  If someone walked up to you on the street with a bag over their head, would you want to talk to them?  'Nuf said. Photo by scragz.
7. Having a consumption mindset. I've seen profiles that show someone following say, 90 people, but very few tweets. You're only getting half the value of Twitter. Sure, I use Twitter as my personalized, virtual newspaper, too. But it's the interaction that makes Twitter fun. And different. And fascinating. Twitter is not just about consuming. It's about conversing and adding value to the stream.
8. Not thinking you have any original thoughts. Usually typified by limited  vocabulary that could be found in a typical teen's texting. (Hey, note that I said typical. There are always exceptions to the rule.) If you don't think you have anything original to say, that's exactly what will happen. Self-fulfilling prophecy.  Give your brain a stretch--be curious and notice your true reaction to things happening around you.  It won't be long before you have something interesting to say. Photo by aloshbennett

All of this is skewed to how I see Twitter at its most useful--as a way to build a community. Anything that inhibits or intervenes in the natural process of growing a community is something I want to be aware of.

For those who have been on Twitter for awhile, what would you add to this list?  What mistakes did you make that you can help others avoid? For those who are new to Twitter, what's still a mystery to you, that you just don't get?  I'm looking forward to your additions.

Where the Future Lies: Snapping Up Michelle Obama's Dress

I recently attended a presentation, via videoconference, by Christine Heckart, General Manager at Microsoft for their television division and most recently, their music division. She's a seasoned technologist with a big picture marketing bent and humility that is refreshing for someone in her position. (Slight tangent: Afterwards, I wondered if a man would ever display such humility, even an enlightened one. Would a man ever say he was new to a field, after studying and working in it for four years?)

The title of the talk was "The Future of Television and a Market Filled With Business Opportunities."

Key points from the talk:

• We spend an awful lot of time consuming entertainment (9 hrs/day vs. 7 hrs spent on sleeping.) Heckart didn't say this explicitly but it was implied that this will increase over time.
• The world is increasingly becoming digitized. Today, there are 300 million people watching online video. In 2012, it's predicted that 1 billion people will be watching online video. Television is the last electronic island in the home. I could relate to Heckart's story that she takes away screen time from her kids as punishment instead of television time. My kids think something is wrong with my husband and I when we limit screen time to under 20 hours per week. Photo by striatic.
• Media is increasingly being fragmented to more channels and choices. Even more intriguing is fragmentation of attention. Kids today multi-task with an iPod, video games, and chat all going on at the same time.
• Advertising has not caught up. The dollars going to advertising on television vs. online are disproportionate to the consumption. 7% of the ad spend is online, while 20% of the consumption is online. Fewer television viewers, yet advertising is still putting their money there.
• The ME-WE phenomena, fueled by social networking, adds personalization into the landscape. I'm going to tell you all about me so we can connect. 
• Convergence used to mean voice and data together. Now it means everything I need for communications and entertainment, seemlessly delivered. Television plus Internet, enriching each other, is part of the future. Heckart warns that our infrastructure isn't ready for that and thus, there's a business opportunity. Consumer video is the driver for a new eco-system. 
• Be prepared for a re-distribution of dollars. (Sound vaguely familiar?) Current players in the television market (e.g. cable and satellite) have both the worst and the best of starting points. They have a captive audience and everything to lose as the old pie shrinks and a new pie emerges.

Quotable quotes:

• "When the Internet "rolls" over your industry, it fundamentally changes it."
• "If you can make things simple, you can make a lot of money. If you can't make the complex simple, it's a niche market. Dumbing down is the whole point."

How this relates to the path of a wisdom entrepreneur:

• In a fragmented world, crystallizing your ideas becomes even more important.
• The interactive nature of today's younger generation will be pervasive in no time at all. The last bastion, television, is coming to grips with this.  Digital immigrants need to be prepared to incorporate that into their strategy of turning an idea into a movement.
• Technology and culture are reinforcing the idea of attracting your tribe, by promoting personalization and connection to those who resonate with you. Interestingly enough, Heckart was asked in the Q+A for one piece of career advice. She first said, "Have great mentors." And then she hit upon these words: "Pure raw leadership. Identify opportunities and do something about it, exciting people enough to follow you."  While she was referring to a business setting, I think it applies in a large sense. I immediately thought of Seth Godin's book, Tribes, and how the essence of leadership is creating a community of kindred spirits, a movement, that changes the world in some way.

Heckart ended her talk with a marketer and technologist's vision of the future that elicited a knowing smile from the audience.  Michelle Obama was on The View last year, a women's talk show on television, and wore a dress that captivated the viewers. Reportedly, within hours, the off-the -rack dress was sold out across the country.

Imagine if that same event took place and all that was needed was a click of the button to purchase and start delivery.  Now that's making the complex simple. 

Photo by AlexJohnson

Kim Dority, Part 4: Sustaining the Cause

Keeping in mind the mission is [to] disseminate information that helps people change their lives..., who can we work with that will allow us to move that ...mission forward?

--Kim Dority

This final part of my interview with Kim was the most illuminating part of our conversation (at least for me!) Kim talks about ways to generate revenue and stay true to your mission at the same time, the connection between accountability to the mission and being financially sustainable, and how ultimately, true financial viability is required to create change in the world. 

This recording is about 12 minutes long.

Okay, one of the best quotes from Kim that I can't resist highlighting:

"Many non-profits are in the business of disseminating information...
Information is not free. If you are going to be a grown up about it, and be responsible for the long term success of being able to deliver that information, it's important... to have it be financially sustainable."

Beautifully articulated. My thanks to Kim for her wisdom and time. You can contact Kim via email, kdority [at] disaboom.com, LinkedIn, or Twitter (@gkimberly).

One final lesson. In these interviews, I feel privileged to connect with kindred spirits.  This is part of community-building. If you are a wisdom entrepreneur or starting down that path, spend time finding your kindred spirits. Help them to be more of who they are and it will create a stronger, more engaged community.