What are the benefits of becoming a social business?
In most of the visits I do with companies on social, the big question I get asked is what is the benefit of becoming a social business?
Here are a few great benefits that I see:
- Stronger employee engagement. Stronger employee engagement leads to great client engagement. In a social business, employees are smarter, more loyal, and engaged because their organization uses social networks, collaboration systems and shared messaging services.
- Great talent in and around! A "social" approach enables employees around the world to tap into each other’s expertise and connections. Companies can attract top talent and give employees the social tools they need to work together. Executives can layer analytics on top of social technologies to make sure their companies have the right skills and expertise to meet market demands.
- Exceptional client service. A social business is also one where customer service is exceptional because the company reaches out to customers through social networks, Twitter and blogs in innovative ways and acts on the insights it pulls together about consumers. That way, customer service teams have the insights and the analytics they need to predict and resolve problems before they happen.
- Personalized. Value in a Social Business is created not for 'market segments' or demographics but for individuals. Companies can dish up more targeted offers to customers and respond more quickly to their problems. R&D can gain new sources of inspirations and insight from customers and employees so that the products customers want are the ones that get to market ... customized to their particular need, even made to order!
What are your thoughts on the value you see in Social?
Welcome to Social Business all you Pragmatics!!! A Video Blog!
Welcome to our Social Business Coffee Break !!! I am welcoming all you pragmatics to the social era!
Trying to get adoption and use of social from these folks are very different for companies than the leaders and visionary!
I'd love your thoughts!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTJ1z_DeDqU&feature=youtu.be]
Does Social Require you lose control (of your brand?!)
Is losing control of your brand a good thing or a bad thing?
We are used to operating with the idea that we have to protect the brand. How do we lose control of our brand so that our customers have a role in shaping our brand as much as we do?
Well, we know that your brand is not what you say it is, but what everyone else decides. Social enables you to influence your brand and engage where and how others want to talk. You can identify and engage influencers and unleash your employees as a “digital army” by building with customers and convert them to brand ambassadors
If you use Social Analytics to identify needs in the marketplace for specific products, features, or process enhancements by listening and this could allow you to tweak your brand value prop. Leveraging crowdsourcing to engage employees, partners, and even customers in innovation discussions increases the number and sources of new ideas; but also enables the best ideas to become more visible and mature through collaboration.
I LOVE having brands be leveraged by clients is great -- and I don't think that it is anything new. Companies now orchestrate and can shape the brand not based on what we are selling but on their character, their interactions, their experiences.
Check out our IBM CMO Jon Iwata!
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/62205426]
Social Business Coffee Break! Adoption Best Practice: Reverse Mentoring
Happy Monday! This is our 8th Best Practice for Social Business Adoption.
It is all about Reverse Mentoring -- a great best practice!
Tell me what you think!
Happy Friday! What is a Social Business Anyway?
Please forgive me if you know this but I have had so many questions at SXSW on "What is a Social Business" that I jotted down my thoughts to share!!!
If you are 201, please skip but I am hoping this is helpful to a lot of you!!
1. What is social business?
A major change is taking place in social media these days: leading-edge companies are moving from "liking" to leading.
Social media has become an extension of traditional paid media with many companies broadcasting messages, from traditional to innovative. The next step will be much deeper as the leaders recognize that social engagement is an opportunity to redefine the client service experience, be proactive in delivering customer care and differentiate in new ways.
We call this social business. And just as social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest changed the flow of information by helping people share insights, opinions, and news with anyone anywhere, social business is changing the way people connect with companies and inside of them and how organizations succeed.
What is a social business? It's an organization that integrates social technologies with critical business processes to improve the productivity of its workforce and create exceptional customer service.
Forrester Research estimates the market opportunity for social software is expected to rise 60% annually from 2010.
2. How is social business different from social media?
Organizations have quickly learned that a Social Business isn't a company that just has a Facebook page and a Twitter account. A Social Business means that every department in the organization has embedded social capabilities into their traditional business processes to fundamentally impact how work gets done to create business value. A Social Business utilizes social software technology to communicate with its rich ecosystem of clients, business partners and employees.
Three shifts are creating an opportunity for social technology to create real business value
- Pressure to build and share expertise for competitive advantage
- Increasingly influential and vocal customers
- Growing demand for 24/7 and mobile connectedness
Leaders in every industry are leveraging Social Business technology to disrupt their industries and create competitive advantage. They are improving productivity and unleashing innovation by tapping into the collective intelligence inside and outside their organizations. With social, they're creating a smarter workforce.
3. What are the benefits of becoming a social business?
In a social business, employees are smarter, more loyal, and engaged because their organization uses social networks, collaboration systems and shared messaging services.
A "social" approach enables employees around the world to tap into each other’s expertise and connections. Companies can attract top talent and give employees the social tools they need to work together. Executives can layer analytics on top of social technologies to make sure their companies have the right skills and expertise to meet market demands.
A social business is also one where customer service is exceptional because the company reaches out to customers through social networks, Twitter and blogs in innovative ways and acts on the insights it pulls together about consumers. That way, customer service teams have the insights and the analytics they need to predict and resolve problems before they happen. Companies can dish up more targeted offers to customers and respond more quickly to their problems. R&D can gain new sources of inspirations and insight from customers and employees so that the products customers want are the ones that get to market.
4. Example of social business transformations.
Teach for America: Teach For America, a nonprofit organization that works in partnership with communities to expand educational opportunity for children facing the challenges of poverty, is using IBM's social business platform to help bridge the gap in educational inequality for 600,000 students nationwide. Teach For America's 40,000 teachers, alumni and employees are accessing a digital network built on IBM's industry leading social
networking platform to share best practices and innovative teaching techniques in the classroom, across school districts, and state borders. Teach For America's digital portal, TFANet, allows incoming and current teachers, alumni and staff to connect and share knowledge, resources and guidance to help deepen their impact as educational leaders. All 40,000 corps members, alumni and staff have access to discussion forums, blogs, wikis, videos, and user profiles to exchange information and insight across the organization's 46 regions. IBM social networking technology has allowed Teach For America to build a network and digital experience for its teachers and alumni that includes a resource exchange with over 30,000 user-generated classroom materials focused on classroom management plans and worksheets, lesson plans, and new teaching techniques to help increase efficiency and learning in classrooms across the country. Members can access more than 600 content-specific communities, nearly 20 blogs, and 500 video clips and virtual classroom visits, providing Teach For America members with vital advice and insight from their colleagues to help advance their performance in the classroom.
LeasePlan: LeasePlan, one of the leading vehicle leasing and fleet management companies in the world, is using IBM Connections across the multi-national company of over 40 subsidiaries, in 30 countries and over 6,000 employees. LeasePlan is using IBM Connections for knowledge retention, optimizing workflow, increasing innovation, and transforming business processes. Nearly 800 communities have been formed, 400 blogs, and over 800 forums are all helping the organization decrease the amount of emails sent and received, helping the workforce easily find expertise and saving employees valuable time. Wim de Gier, LeasePlan’s Senior Global Project Manager Corporate Strategy & Development says, “LinkedPeople makes it easy to find people with specific expertise. Employees create personal profiles that include information such as their background, expertise, and links to articles or papers they have written. By searching tags, users can locate specific information and find colleagues suited to answer particular questions. Users can also find questions relating to their expertise that they can answer.”
Electrolux: Electrolux is powered through the innovations of its employees to create products that consumers need. Because of this, the ability for employees to access content and collaborate on the fly is crucial. Using IBM enterprise social networking software, Electrolux employees can now easily find experts and gain valuable insight from information and data. They are engaging in over 1,000 collaboration spaces, including 100 information portals managed by more than 450 editors and visited by employees 15,000 times a month and 9,000 times a day.
CEMEX: Speeding innovation and time to market
CEMEX is the third largest building materials company in the world, with employees in 50 countries. To meet business challenges, it had to bring its global community closer together, so it created a social network initiative, called Shift, for open collaboration across its entire workforce. Within a year, over 20,000 employees were engaged, over 500 communities had formed, nine global innovation initiatives were underway -- and ideas started flowing around the world among specialists in all areas and levels of the company. Wikis, blogs and communities became links between operating units around the world, and the collaboration among employees led to impressive results -- for instance, the launch in under four months of the first global brand of CEMEX's Ready Mix special product. If the same level of collaboration now enabled by Shift were conducted today through traditional meetings by phone and travel, CEMEX would be spending an additional US$0.5 to US$1 million per year.
IBM @ #SXSW!! Join us! #socbiz #ibmsocialbiz #ibmconnect
South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, TX, starts on Friday, March 8! If you’re not familiar with this event, or if you want to test your trivia knowledge, then check out this interesting infographic from Rocksauce Studios, which Guy Kawasaki shared earlier this week.
There are so many exciting sessions and speakers that it’s hard to choose which to attend. Even if you’re not attending SXSW, you can follow along on Twitter by searching #sxsw. You’ll be able to join the conversation and share what you see with your followers.
One session that looks incredible is Tina Roth Eisenberg’s keynote on March 10. She’ll be talking about social’s impact on design.
As the mother of a tween daughter, two other sessions have caught me eye:
Digital Drama: Growing Up in the Age of Facebook With Bill Keller, Danah Boyd, Emily Bazelon and Jason Rzekpa.
Is Women’s Media Too Girly? With Anna Holmes, Deborah Schoeneman, Margaret Johnson, Rebecca Fernandez
IBM will be involved in several SXSW speaking sessions:
I Know Where You're Going: Location as Biometric With Jeff Jonas, IBM Fellow & Chief Scientist, and Jennifer Lynch from Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Large Enterprise of Social Media - Meet Up Hosted by Noah Kuttler, Market Segment Manager, IBM Enterprise Content Management
Mentor Session With Rawn Shah, Social Business Strategist, IBM
Engaging Government for Fun, Profit & Meaning With Gadi Ben-Yehuda, Innovation & Social Media Director – IBM Center for the Business of Government, Amanda Eamich from USDA, Mary Krakowiak from National Archives & Records Administration, and Tammi Marcoullier from US General Services Administration
Making Accessible Transportation Modern & Cool
With Bill Curtis Davidson, Accessible Transportation Solutions & Business Development Lead, IBM , James Pol from US DOT, Kamiar Kordari from TRX Systems, and Mohammed Yousuf from DOT.
I will be participating on a panel that is not on the SXSW schedule but will be fun and informative:
Just Add Followers – The Key Ingredient to Telling Your Brand Story and Getting Results
- Panel Discussion with Shoutlet, Bare Escentuals & IBM, Moderated by TechCrunch
Gone are the days when brands used a brochure or static website to tell their story. Today, social media provides a platform where brands can communicate their story through the way they engage and interact with followers. And often, those interactions shape the brand in new ways, too. Join TechCrunch, IBM, Bare Escentuals and Shoutlet as we take a look at social storytelling and provide practical tips and tools for the job. You’ll hear a robust discussion on how to effectively manage online communities, listen to fans and impact buyer behaviors and preferences. More details here.
When: Saturday, March 9 from 2:00 - 4:30 pm
Where: Lambert's Downtown BBQ
IBM is planning an extensive presence at SXSW. Please stop by and say hello!
Date: Saturday, March 9, 6-8pm
Location: Haven Bar
5th Annual SXSW Interactive Accelerator
Date: Monday, March 11 and Tuesday, March 12
Location: Hilton Austin
What: New technologies and start ups presented at SXSW. IBM is sponsoring Social Technologies track
SXSW Trade Show
Date: Sunday, March 10 through Wednesday, March 13
Location: Austin Convention Center, Exhibit Halls 3 & 4
What: IBM booth will showcase solutions for Social Business, the Mobile Enterprise, Digital Marketing & Analytics, and Global Entrepreneurs
Last but not least, the famous Grumpy Cat from Twitter and Facebook will be doing meet & greets and “signing” autographs. That’s just the type of event that you expect at SXSW!
See you in Austin! Sandy
Sandy’s #SXSW Social Dining Picks - #socbiz #ibmsocialbiz
Sandy’s SXSW Social Dining Picks.
As many of you know, I am in the business of Social Business. There is nothing more social than face to face and breaking bread with a friend, a colleague, a customer or someone new.
While at SXSW, I know many of you will be getting social on a daily basis. With Austin exploding as a foodie town in its own right, there more places to choose from that any one person could fathom. People have dedicated books and blogs, tweets, time, tours and television shows to share the culinary experience that is Austin.
Here are my picks for places you might want to check out during SXSW.
BBQ. It should be considered the state food of Texas.
- La Barbecue – South First BBQ trailer. They have free beer and live music. Try the pork ribs and sausage. They are some of the best in the city. @la_Barbecue
- Live Oak Barbecue & Beer – This one year old, great east side location, is a hidden gem. They smoke all their meats, even the sausage. You will find yourself wanting to return the next day. @liveoakbbq
- Rudy’s – Get some gasoline and BBQ in one visit. Serves up no-nonsense good oak smoked BBQ on butcher paper with their own “Sause.” Try the ribs! Great place for the whole family. @rudysbbq
Breakfast tacos. It’s breakfast! It’s a taco! What more could you want? An Austin tradition.
- Juan in a Million – The owner, Juan, greets you with a handshake as if you are a regular (even on your first visit). The Don Juan El Taco Grande for $3.80 comes with three tortillas and is enough to feed two people. @DonJuanTaco
- La Mexicana Bakery Panaderia – They have breakfast tacos starting at $1.30. Try the cactus and egg or the chorizo with egg and potato. They are open 24 hours and have a Mexican bakery case sure to tempt most sweets lover. @PanDulceee
- mi Madre’s Restaurant – Serving up some of best breakfast tacos in Austin with healthy portions and prices that won’t break the bank. Eat them there or take them to go. Salsa is pretty spicy, so go easy until you know how hot is too hot for you. @mimadres
Burgers. We all love them. You can find them everywhere, but no two burgers are created equal.
- Counter Café – One of the last of the great American diners. They do local and organic from scratch cooking. The Counter Burger was ranked #2 on the Texas Monthly’s 50 Greatest Hamburgers in Texas. The beef is perfectly seasoned and the burger is perfection. P.S., try their scratch made biscuits and gravy for breakfast. #CounterCafe
- Mighty Fine Burgers, Fries & Shakes – They source their meat from certified small ranchers and grind it fresh daily at the restaurant. It's a no nonsense burger. Wash it down with one of their hand dipped shakes or a hand-squeezed strawberry lemonade. @mightyfinetx
- Wholly Cow Burgers – This little gem has wholesome, all natural, grass fed beef and makes their burger to order with a whole list of toppings to choose from. They do as much organic as possible and cook up a heavenly burger that is well seasoned. Try it with the sweet potato fries. @WhollyCowATX
Food trailers. You cannot truly experience Austin, without eating from a trailer. There are guides, books, festivals, Meetups and food tours dedicated to this culinary revolution. While I cannot do it justice, I have mentioned some in my other category picks. Below are a few notable trailers worth mentioning.
Also, be sure also to check out SouthBites, on the corner of Driskill and Rainey Street. This is a collection of food trailers selected by Paul Qui, winner of Top Chef Season 9. Be sure to follow #SouthBites to keep up to date with their lineup. Also, follow #SXSWtrailer for any changes on trailer hours, locations and events.
- Hey… You Gonna Eat or What? – These are not your mama’s sandwiches. Try the Shiner Bock beer-battered Monte Cristo and prepare for angels singing. It is well worth the calories. You really cannot go wrong with anything on their menu. @UGonnaEatOrWhat
- Kebabalicious – Fresh Turkish-style wraps made from scratch. Vegetarians and Meat eaters can coexist in harmony, as there are choices for all. The spicy items will pack a kick. Try the Meat/Lamb Kebab and be careful not to drip the sauce all over you. It is a messy and delicious dining adventure. @kebabalicious
- Three Little Pigs – Located outside of East End Wines, you can have your pork and wine too. Pick up a bottle, walk outside and you have BYOB. Try the Pork Belly Sliders, Bacon Wrapped Craklin’ Meatloaf and the Brussels Sprouts. @3LittlPigs
Happy Hour. Being a university town, for some, Happy Hour is the most important meal of the day. Cheap food and beverages on a budget are the way many afford both their dinner and socializing. Happy Hours are mentioned throughout this list. Below are a few more worth checking out.
- Contigo – Enjoy happy hour inside or on their spacious dog-friendly patio, Monday-Friday from 5-7pm. They offer reduced price bar snacks, $1 off draft beer/wine by the glass and a $6 selection of cocktails. All charcuterie and condiments are made from scratch. Try the pigs in a blanket and the white bean dip. @contigoaustin
- Salty Sow – They bill themselves has Swine + Wine + Beer, but you don’t have to be a pork lover to enjoy their fare. They have a $4 Happy Hour menu, 7 days a week, from 4:30-6:30pm. Try the Brussels sprouts and the deviled eggs. They are also known for their Truffle Duck Fat Fries. @saltysow
- Ten Oak – This Bourbon house has more than just bourbon. With a full bar and some great food, they have Happy Hour 7 days a week from 4-7pm. You can choose from $5 for specialty cocktails and select menu options including Pulled Pork Sliders and Chicken Pizzetta. @TenOakAustin
Mexican food. Say Cheese… it’s Tex-Mex. Say Interior, it’s Mexican. No matter how you say it – we have it all.
- Curra’s Grill –Avocado Margarita is a must try and if they are not too busy, ask for a sauce sampler so you can determine your favorite before ordering. More interior Mexican than Tex-Mex, they make their own corn tortillas. Try the red chili corn tortilla in your taco. Get some to-go. @CurrasGrill
- El Alma – Great rooftop patio to watch the sunset. The Queso Fundido is delicious and half price during Happy Hour. Try the Duck Enmoladas or the Duck Relleno… you won’t be disappointed. @ElAlma_ATX
- Maudie’s – Don’t wait for the cheese, get the Queso. Try it with some taco meat and pico de gallo (Diablo sol food). Wash it down with their regular house margarita for just $3.50 at Happy Hour (Monday 3pm-close, Tuesday – Friday 3-6:30pm). @MaudiesTXMex
Off the beaten path, but worth the trek. These places will require transportation, but are definitely worth the trip
- Jack Allen’s Kitchen – Locally sourced fare. Best Pimento Cheese (oh yes they do) in Austin. $15.99 Sunday brunch buffet. Happy hour, 7 days a week, starting at 3pm, with half price appetizers and assorted drink specials. Try the Bacon Wrapped Texas Quail appetizer. @jackallens
- The Oasis on Lake Travis – Definitely a big tourist draw but the perfect spot to watch the sunset with a margarita. They specialize in high volume, so order up some chips and salsa and wander next door to Soleil or another spot for your dinner. This way, you get the best of all worlds. @OasisLakeTravis
- Trattoria Lisina – This is Damian Mandola’s perfectly executed, little piece of Tuscany in the Texas hill country. Their authentic Italian food is complemented by the Duchman Family Winery next door which offers wine tasting and tours next door. Reservations are helpful. Enjoy live outdoor music with plenty of places to sit, relax and enjoy a bottle or glass of wine. @TrattoriaLisina
Pizza. From thin crust, thick crust, cheese, pepperoni, all the toppings and the convenience of delivery, it is hard to get through a SXSW without indulging in a slice of Pizza.
- Austin’s Pizza – With locations around Austin, gluten-free and thin crust options and delivery, they are sure to be a lifesaver for the hungry. Try the sausage pizza. @AustinsPizza
- Roppolo’s – New York-style pizza and a downtown Austin staple, they’ve been selling pizza in their trucks for years. Now you can enjoy a slice in their newer store front on E 6th or catch one of their food trucks about town. They sell it by the pizza or the slice. Try the Italian Mex or the Rosalie. @roppolos
- VIA 313 – Detroit-style pizza made in auto parts pans and baked to perfection, VIA 313 brings a little bit of Motown fare to the Live Music Capital. Try the Cadillac Pizza and enjoy the cheesy caramelized edges on every slice. @Via313Pizza
Wine bars. The wine scene is alive and well in this town. With Austin being the home to well known Sommeliers, it is easy to find a wine bar with a creative affordable selection of solid wines.
- Apothecary Café & Wine Bar – Their wine selection changes up, and is guaranteed to suit most any palate. Not into wine, they serve up a selection of Texas beers and have a full espresso bar. The menu is seasonal and inventive and includes a weekend Brunch menu. They have Happy Hour specials from 4-7pm every day and all day on Sundays & Mondays, including $10 off bottles. @apothecaryatx
- House Wine – Cozy and uniquely Austin. It is an actual house turned wine bar with perfect outdoor seating. On Sunday’s, all their open bottles sell by the glass for ½ price until they are gone. Curl up in any spot with a glass, and it feels like home. @HouseWine
- The Red Room Lounge – This speak easy ambiance is the perfect beginning or night cap to an evening in Austin. Texas’ Best Sommelier 2011, Bill Elsey, has artfully selected top notch yet affordable wines. Their list will satisfy the lover of the common to the obscure varietals. BYO Food is encouraged, as they only serve wine. @RedRoomATX
Social Business Tip: Social Infinity and beyond! #socbiz #ibmsocialbiz #ibmconnect #sxsw
To infinity and beyond! Since I was a math minor in college and so I saw the Infinity sign in my daily tasks and fell in love with it! Infinity is the unlimited extent of time, space, or quantity, or in plain English .... boundlessness.
Just on a POP note! Today it is one of the most popular necklaces because it represents endlessness ... (just ask my daughter who walked me through 4 cities looking for an infinity sign necklace that was in stock -- they are hard to find!) I am sure New Dimension has a lot to do with that!!!
Social Infinity: But in Social, it is money for your business because it represents the endless cycle of engagement with clients, and the knitting together of the employee and the client! The engaged employee is key.
Engaged employees are those who know the company’s values and are empowered to leverage those values with their partners and clients. They know their role and understand how to reach out to the right expert. These new social employee are about commitment and success.
An engaged employee yields an engaged Client!
This Engaged client is one who is attentive, interested, and active in their support for your brand, product, or company. The depth of their conversations online showcases their knowledge and care. They recommend and passionately advocate on your behalf in the blogosphere -- they become loyal Brand Ambassadors -- speaking on your behalf!
A brand ambassador is a person who is passionate about your brand and references you as a normal course of business usually done socially! And that makes you as a company a more desirable company! Becoming an infinite loop of success and money!!!
Addendum: The funny thing is I wrote this before my call with Janet Powers from the Women's Tool Box! And she had the exact same thoughts!!
Case Study: Create a great EVENT using Social! #ibmconnect #socbiz
I love to share case studies and here is one from our superstar IBM team in Europe! Mark Osborn's (@mark_osborn) leadership was the driver to a very successful joint Sales and Technical Education event .
He leveraged Social to drive all the core and key elements in the event:
- Ideation: Creation of the agenda based on the team's suggestions. First requests for topics were collected in an Activity. Common themes were organised into tracks and relevant speakers identified. Everyone voted for speakers and topics
- Continuous Improvement. The speakers could see the requirements from the team and posted draft agendas back to the Activity for comment, further honing their pitch.
- Realtime Reaction. During the event agendas and updates were made available via an event wiki.
- Immediate Usage. After the event speakers posted their presentations on Connections Files with the event tag, creating an event presentation feed. Several of our speakers, were virtual and presented via LotusLive & Sametime Web Meetings
- Best Social tools used! Leveraged IBM Connections
The team in Europe created a 'Ideation Blog'. This is a blog set up for using the collective intelligence of an entire team to create ideas and build upon each others thoughts. They took the suggested with the highest number of votes to create the agenda - there was a very high number of topics that were very popular!
And this was the Feedback from the team on this years event 97% satisfaction This demonstrates that the social approach to planning the event was not only highly effective, but created a much stronger sense of ownership with the participants, encouraging them to feed-back.
