Blog Feed: Building online communities for business

A customer shares an insight within your company’s online community. He somehow found the time in between meetings, phone calls and lunch to share a suggestion, idea or complaint in a discussion thread.

Social Media Policy Guidelines for Physican-Patient Relationships

Published on 2013-05-01 11:22:12

The boundaries between the physician - patient relationship have always been difficult as the relationship is based on trust, intimacy and the ability to share information from both sides of the desk.

Why Eva Perón Is a Community Builder

Published on 2013-04-24 15:06:47

As I sit at my desk thinking about a new blog post topic, I struggle to write. Not because of a lack of topics, but because this is my first day back from a glorious vacation. We all know that post-vacation tension between enjoying the past and needi

Avoid Online Customer Community Failure!

Published on 2013-04-01 10:56:52

Failure.

John Coates and the WELL: Looking ahead by looking back

Published on 2013-03-19 08:12:02

A month ago I went to London to give a presentation at the 13th annual VIRCOMM Summit. On a cold and rainy morning (it was London, after all) about a thousand community builders and social media managers from around the world gathered to think and ta

Spotlight on Cognizant's B2B Online Community

Published on 2013-03-01 07:27:02

B2B online customer communities are often the elusive queen of the social business world- gated, private and not often in the limelight, but powerful to the companies that host them.

Connecting The Dots On The Social Experience

Published on 2013-01-29 07:56:42

Your B2B firm trumpets its engaged, active customers. These customers, the sweet center of any successful business, generate a significant portion of your firm’s revenue. These same customers serve as references; speak at industry conferences; shar

10 Cheers for Community Managers Everywhere! (#CMAD)

Published on 2013-01-16 13:25:43

Community Manager Appreciation Day (#CMAD) is just around the corner. Monday, January 28th marks the fourth annual celebration, started by Jeremiah Owyang. Read about the history and happenings of this day here. This is the day for celebrating the of

Online Community Content Map (Part II): Why Online Content Must Answer The “So What?” Question For Members

Published on 2012-12-05 11:33:40

In part one of this series, I discussed how content in an online community has to answer the “So What?” question for members. My approach is to go beyond simplistic editorial calendars and, instead, focus on the content’s value to members using

The Online Community Content Map – Part One

Published on 2012-11-26 13:39:08

Creating meaningful content for an online community is a tricky business. Few online communities survive solely on member discussions.

Thanksgiving Recipe: Social Media Soup

Published on 2012-11-16 18:45:10

Thanksgiving time in the US always yields an onslaught of new recipes to help us prepare a memorable meal for friends and family.

Why Branded Online Community Delivers On Social Customer Care

Published on 2012-11-01 15:42:00

Just last week my colleagues at Social Media Today released the 3rd annual Social Customer Index Report which is chock full of data to fuel any organization’s efforts to leverage social media for customer service. This report is cause for celebrati

Are Private Social Networks Seeing Their Hayday?

Published on 2012-10-24 10:32:09

Earlier this week I published an article on Forbes:”The Private Social Network: It May Just Be What Your Company Needs,” which explores the quiet but powerful revolution private online communities are bringing to businesses.

Introducing The Social Business Benchmark ™ Program

Published on 2012-10-18 07:56:11

Last month I blogged about "Ten Questions: A B2B Online Community Readiness Checklist" to identify the key elements for successful social business programs. I was very pleased to learn these ideas touched readers far and wide as they struggled to develop social business strategies for their organizations. To help address these issues I am excited to announce a new research study that will help companies understand the strategic trends in social business strategy and identify the best practices. [..]

Social Media Manager vs. Online Community Manager: Same or Different?

Published on 2012-09-24 20:37:09

One recent morning I saw a post in one of my LinkedIN groups asking "what is the difference between a social media manager and an online community manager?" Easy, I thought, and offered a quick response on my mobile ... "Social media managers bring the guests (clients, prospects) to the table and community managers welcome them in!" Ahh, but wait. This may require more words than I can manage on that little screen. So, naturally, I turned to trusty Google to see what others have said on this [..]

Ten Questions: A B2B Online Community Readiness Checklist

Published on 2012-09-14 07:53:24

A wide range of B2B firms are considering the need for creating and operating their own online customer communities. In the B2B information technology sector, customer support, knowledge-sharing and product enhancement communities are common. For example, nearly two-thirds (65%) of 207 firms surveyed in 2010 by the research firm ITSMA

What Did You Find? New Social Tools = New Business Rules

Published on 2012-08-20 10:00:08

$1.2 Billion for a social network platform – yowza!

Social Business Strategy Blog Must Reads

Published on 2012-08-13 12:21:39

The web is awash with information about social media marketing, but relatively little of it explores B2B Social Business in ways that are useful to the enterprise or take into account the matrix of issues that must be considered when developing the right strategy for one's organization.

Nearly 80% of People Participate In Online Community to Help Others

Published on 2012-07-26 22:29:26

Because I am a veteran online community builder, one of the most common questions people ask me is why do people participate in online communities. Even after seeing many online communities succeed over time, this remains a tough question to fully understand. For some, the act of logging onto a computer network and having a conversation with someone you have never met seems utterly foreign, but these are often the same people who will happily chat up a stranger in the grocery line.

Insights Into The Social Mind

Published on 2012-07-10 06:49:27

Let the B2B Games Begin!

Published on 2012-06-27 09:06:00

I am one of those jaded, cranky people who think everything new must prove itself over time.

Social Insurance- Getting Back To The Basics Of Relationships

Published on 2012-06-12 09:28:32

When was the last time you thanked your car or home insurance agency for helping you? Or reached out to them before you got into a fender bender with another driver to talk about safe driving tips?

Strategy First, Platform Second ... Please!

Published on 2012-05-01 08:00:45

I don't know how many times I've had to shift a conversation into reverse when an initial business discussion about online communities begins with "We're thinking about starting an online community. What's your opinion of Platform X?" Too many companies decide they want to invest in an online community -- be it internal or externally-facing -- and then move right to making the community platform acquisition decision without EVER considering the mission, vision and goals for the community. It's [..]

Time For You To Shine Online!

Published on 2012-04-23 08:58:35

A Small Organization Creates a Big Community Success Case Study: ASCA's SCENE for School Counselors

Published on 2012-04-10 09:02:01

Eureka! A Strong Social Business Model by AMEX

Published on 2012-03-07 15:53:40

Just a few days ago I revised an old social friend named Foursquare. I hadn't been there for a while, as I am a digital nomad, often trying new tools to formulate an opinion, and then move on to a new toy as fast as they come unless they really offer something of value. Lately I have been busy pinning images while watching the copy write storm brew. By my real life friends have called me back to Foursquare through persistent invitations and check-ins. (It seems to have reached mainstream - p [..]

How Do You Measure Member Engagement?

Published on 2012-02-27 07:05:51

Member engagement is a popular term these days, applied to everything from customer loyalty programs to Facebook games to political campaigns. There are tools that purport to track every “like” or tweet as evidence that your members, or customers, or just visitors, are listening and “engaged”. I’m skeptical. I think this very useful and important term is being misused, applied to a wide range of online activities in today’s engagement-obsessed social media world. Too often, a mome [..]

Don't Ask Community Managers To Be Strategists

Published on 2012-02-13 06:46:24

The enterprise community manager position is sometimes termed a "jack of all trades" role. I know -- I've said it myself. But I think we're starting to take it a bit too far. Over the past few weeks I have participated in a suite of webinars and talks about online communities and their growing role in functional areas such as customer care. I have listened to, and debated with, countless community management specialists about community management best practices. I've heard a lot about keeping b [..]

Does Your Company Inspire Trust? How Online Communities Can Help!

Published on 2012-02-01 06:35:08

Just the other day, I said to my 10 year old daughter ‘trust is hard to win and easy to lose.’ She was having a tough time with a good friend who had done something jerky, and she wanted to know if she should trust her friend again just because she was being nice. Once trust is broken, it takes time and evidence to repair the damage. That’s why it’s always best to behave in an honest and trustworthy manner, rather than endeavor to rebuild bridges. While school girl antics usually come an [..]

Community Managers, Unite!

Published on 2012-01-23 18:00:21

Happy Community Manager Appreciation Day (#CMAD)! As I sat down to write a blog post dedicated to celebrating community managers - this fantastic, rewarding and often misunderstood profession, I realized that there are few professions (and professionals) as impassioned as a Community Manager. Left-brain, right-brain, artist, scientist, pioneer, organizational change agent - the job is all that, and more. So, in lieu of trying to write about my appreciative thoughts today, I have gathered a [..]

The Social Mind: A New Research Project

Published on 2012-01-13 08:09:08

Interrelationships between individuals, organizations, thought leaders and influencers are evolving in new and previously unforeseen ways thanks to the advent of social media networks. This paradigm shift represents a major communications innovation in all markets, and is radically changing the way people and organizations engage and behave online. In order to explore this topic, and give back to the industry, Don Bulmer and Peter Auditore and I are conducting a new study as Fellows of the Soc [..]

Online Community Decision: Public, Private or Hybrid?

Published on 2012-01-11 14:52:49

Your organization has decided to develop an online community to serve your customers. Congratulations! This is an important step towards building a social business. As the team gathers in the conference room with whiteboards, markers and lots of coffee, you start by talking about other online community examples the organization might want to emulate, or those that have caught your fancy. Features, content, look and feel are usually a major part of this discussion. But chances are you haven’t [..]

The 20 Minute Social Media Professional

Published on 2011-12-06 09:40:08

“I don’t have time to participate in social media” is a common cry heard within enterprise. The concern is that social media has a steep learning curve and is a time vacuum preventing more essential work from getting done. In other circles where social media is more widely used, those who haven't started are sometimes in a pickle. They don't know where to start and won't ask for help, worried about exposing that they haven't developed this professional skill yet. Fear not...while we are [..]

Social Snacking Feeds Online Community

Published on 2011-11-30 07:02:50

Social snacks are digital tidbits of information, ideas and personal presence which offer a quick taste of an online community's content and personality. An effective way to build awareness of a community, these virtual treats get distributed via the burgeoning ecosystem of online tools that support millions of short, sharing interactions daily. Sometimes an online community can get overly focused on internal processes such as moderation, content development, member acquisition and engagement, [..]

Online Community Beta Groups: Why and How

Published on 2011-11-16 07:48:16

You wouldn’t throw a party and not invite your closest friends, would you? You might even encourage them to come a wee bit early, right? The other guests who may not know you as well might feel a bit awkward to arrive on time and be the very first ones there. So why not ask your buddies to come early? You can even ask them to bring a bottle of wine or a dessert, or suddenly need to borrow their table cloth or punch bowl. The really good friends even stay after the party to help do the dishes. [..]

The Rise Of the Digital Doctor

Published on 2011-11-10 06:58:29

Just the other day, I paid a visited my daughter's pediatrician in his office and saw a strange thing ... his desk was clean and in the far right hand corner of his large desk was a sleek, silver shiny object. A laptop computer. Of course, it was closed, and there were numerous sticky notes posted on top of it. Real change takes time. But there it was on his desk, ready to be used. Later that week one of my best friends, a world-famous rheumatologist, asked me to demonstrate Twitter. We found [..]

Keeping The B2B Customer Satisfied: Why Companies Need Online Communities

Published on 2011-11-01 12:53:58

Seminars, publications, market research, and customer care centers are some of the most important tools in every business-to-business firm’s toolbox for understanding, attracting, serving and keeping customers loyal. But in a world of fierce global price competition, increasing transparency of business practices, and ever-rising complexity, these customer interaction channels are no longer enough for many B2B companies. Today, software companies such as SAP and Taleo, business information pro [..]

Social Business Readiness: 5 Questions for IT Executives

Published on 2011-06-29 09:21:04

Within the IT department at some firms, the social media pendulum swings to extremes. Companies are either busy banning all forms of social media usage or getting drunk at the social media party and allowing any and all forms of social media tools an

4 Types Of Active Members – How To Spot Them And Engage

Published on 2011-06-26 21:52:01

There are different reasons why people participate in online communities. Not one size of inspiration fits all online community members. People tend to respond better to appropriately designed reward stimulus. Simply put, if they get what they need

Social Business Readiness: 5 Questions for Human Resources

Published on 2011-06-23 07:47:15

Human resources are the people finders and keepers. Responsible for more than just hiring and exiting employees, they are often chartered with creating innovative projects to shape organizational culture. And while social media initiatives are usuall

People Come For Content And Stay For Community Online

Published on 2011-06-17 08:43:19

I often get asked about whether content is more important than conversation in an online community. It really depends on the stage of the online community or the member. Content is important because it attracts new users to visit the comm

People Come For Content And Stay For Community Online

Published on 2011-06-17 08:43:19

Social Business Readiness: 5 Questions for Legal Executives

Published on 2011-06-14 07:57:00

The folks in legal are often the last ones invited to the social media party. After all, they are often the "Dr. No" of the organization; who would want to let them in too early on any groundbreaking innovations? At best, they would certainly try to

Social Business Readiness: 5 Questions for Legal Executives

Published on 2011-06-14 07:57:00

Social Business Readiness: 5 Questions For Sales Executives

Published on 2011-06-08 13:17:27

Sales is often one of the first departments to pick up social media tools to expand the organization’s network of business contacts and garner new leads. Sales managers and account executives have flocked to LinkedIn and Bebo for quite awhile in se

Social Business Readiness: 5 Questions For Sales Executives

Published on 2011-06-08 13:17:27

The Utility Of Social Business: 5 Strategic Wins

Published on 2011-06-02 13:10:47

Effective social business strategies connect people, processes and technologies in ways that strengthen a company’s competitive position and increases the value of its brand experience -- not to mention the bottom line -- with customers, employees,

The Utility Of Social Business: 5 Strategic Wins

Published on 2011-06-02 13:10:47

How to Close an Online Community Without Hurting Your Brand

Published on 2011-05-25 11:13:19

There have been plenty of recent blog posts and articles about starting an online community, as a wide range of organizations have begun to realize the value of this social business tool. Some newcomers to the social media scene may not realize well-

How to Close an Online Community Without Hurting Your Brand

Published on 2011-05-25 11:13:19

The Future Of Social Shopping

Published on 2011-05-15 06:47:36

I have been thinking a lot about shopping lately. Granted it’s time for a new spring wardrobe, but more importantly, I have been preparing to talk to the Indian Retailer’s Association (RAI) in Mumbai next month on the impact of social busin

The Future Of Social Shopping

Published on 2011-05-15 06:47:36

A Day In The Life Of A B2B Online Community Manager

Published on 2011-05-05 05:57:28

Somewhere, in the stillness of the night, an online community manager rolls over in bed, reaches for his iPad, and checks to see if anyone in his online community needs help, if there are messages that need attention and to make sure the site is runn

A Day In The Life Of A B2B Online Community Manager

Published on 2011-05-05 05:57:28

Social Media Insecurity? Try Our Maturity Model Prescription

Published on 2011-04-27 06:39:35

Many enterprises suffer from a little-documented condition known as "social media insecurity." These anxiety-plagued firms are fearful that somehow, somewhere, they are falling behind their competitors and will suffer unforeseen hardships and failure

Social Media Insecurity? Try Our Maturity Model Prescription

Published on 2011-04-27 06:39:35

Building Employee Communities

Published on 2011-04-22 12:58:40

Community champions within an enterprise can be hard to find. They are far too busy delivering results to wave their own flag. These “intrapreneurs” -- the risk takers and shepherds of innovation and organizational change -- should be celebrated!

Building Employee Communities

Published on 2011-04-22 12:58:40

10 Social Media Promises: Can Your Company Keep Them?

Published on 2011-04-13 07:39:25

Listen up! Put down that smartphone, stand up, raise your right hand and repeat after me: 1) I promise to listen to -- and talk with -- my customers online, because reciprocity is the foundation for successful engagement when using the online social

10 Social Media Promises: Can Your Company Keep Them?

Published on 2011-04-13 07:39:25

What Is The Member Gimme In Your Online Community?

Published on 2011-04-07 09:28:47

Anyone can activate community software and declare victory, but it is another thing entirely to foster online community engagement and membership over time. The biggest challenges are often found after the community launched. It is not uncommon for a

10 Rules For Online Community Success

Published on 2011-03-29 08:19:14

The poet T.S. Eliot once wrote "If I had more time I would have written a shorter letter." Truer words were never spoken as it more difficult to efficiently convey an idea or message than to wax poetic. As social is an emerging trend, many hav

Thought Leadership Is The New Currency Of Online Professional Collaboration

Published on 2011-03-21 22:50:40

Social media has finally broken through the "party-girl ceiling" and entered a new, higher level of utility. While some proponents are still mired in work-a-day water-cooler banter, the leading edge has moved on to the creation of content that direct

SNCR Research Findings Highlight the Evolution of Social Business

Published on 2011-03-16 14:15:05

I am proud to introduce the results of the 2nd annual New Symbiosis of Professional Networks research study by The Society for New Communications Research (SNCR); a benchmark on the impact of social media on enterprise decision-making. The study is

Knowledge Networks: How To Avoid Information Marriages of Convenience

Published on 2011-03-09 07:25:41

To succeed, professionals need to collaborate. It's always been this way -- especially for professional services practitioners. The rise of the consulting firm -- groups of professionals in the same place, groups of subject matter experts working for

Are You Enchanting Online?

Published on 2011-03-05 23:07:52

We live in a society driven by immediate gratification. "I want." "I need." The growth of socially-oriented businesses has exacerbated this condition. For example: I was briefly frustrated this week when my Amazon Prime order didn't arrive -- as prom

Moderating Online Communities: The SEE Method

Published on 2011-03-01 07:33:15

Moderating online communities for a professional membership is as much an art as it is a science. And, as with any art or science, attention must be paid to both the fine details as well as the overall structure. Like an art, online moderating is a

How B2B Companies Are Using Online Communities to Get Closer To Their Clients

Published on 2011-02-23 07:04:47

Business-to-business companies have always needed closer relationships with their customers than business-to-consumer firms. It makes sense, since strong relationships help generate repeat business. Most B2B firms expend significant resources on rela

71 Top Online Customer Communities: The Big List

Published on 2011-02-16 17:46:11

Online customer communities are everywhere -- you just have to look for them -- sometimes in unlikely places. Because they are dedicated to serving customers, often they are not evangelized to the general public or consumer audiences. But they are al

Spot the Winners: Three Patterns for B2B Community Success

Published on 2011-02-09 20:24:11

I have been researching and building online communities since 1991 – a seriously long time. One of the great outcomes of honing a skill for a decade or two is the ability to notice patterns in research. Recently, I have been building case studies a

How To Map Out Your Social Business Strategy

Published on 2011-02-07 16:43:09

A month ago, I had the pleasure of doing an interview on the Social Business Strategy Map with Neil Davey, Editor of MyCustomer.com in the UK, which is one of Sift Media's business publications. Neil and I spoke at length about how companies ca

Six Reasons Firms Build B2B Customer Communities

Published on 2011-02-03 08:53:22

The B2B online community may be the forgotten partner of the glitzy, headline and spotlight-grabbing B2C communities at the center of the social media revolution. In social media land, there is nothing more eye-catching than a community for a popular

Community Manager Appreciation: Secrets of B2B Communities

Published on 2011-01-27 06:00:08

In honor of this week's Community Manager Appreciation Day -- what, you haven't thanked yours yet? -- I'm presenting this Q&A with one of the best community managers I've ever worked with: Barbara Steinberg. Barbara and I worked together managin

Do Customers Expect Companies To Have Online Customer Service?

Published on 2011-01-20 09:42:53

I have been wondering lately if we have we reached the point where companies are expected to have an online customer service presence. Are companies being held accountable in new and different ways? If I, as a customer, post a message in

A Conversation About B2B Online Communities

Published on 2011-01-14 13:36:38

Writing a blog on a regular basis means you spend a lot of time listening to your own thoughts and writing them down. If you're conscientious about reading them later, there will be occasional nods and winces when encountering the good and not-so-goo

All set for Social Media in 2011? Not so fast!

Published on 2011-01-06 12:41:01

It's 2011. You've made launching your social media initiative one of the top business resolutions for the year. It's easy, it's quick, you're rarin' to go, let's jump in, right? Not so fast! Are you really ready? There are three things you must do t

Making Order Out Of Social Business Chaos in 2011

Published on 2010-12-21 12:52:56

As 2010 comes to an end, it is a natural time for reflections and predictions. At this time of year, I take the opportunity to look backwards and take stock of what has happened with social media and customer communities. This year has been dominate

Keeping Trust: Hard to Gain, Easy to Lose

Published on 2010-12-21 12:34:09

I've been thinking a lot about online trust this week -- and I wish I didn't have to. My email contacts were victims of a spam event of the worst kind -- one that strains the foundations of the trustful relationships we so carefully create in our con

Social Media Leadership: Will Readers Thank You or Ignore You?

Published on 2010-12-08 14:17:09

Today, like most days, I start my morning with a daily dose of social media scan – what is going on in the twitter sphere, LinkedIn groups and on the private communities where I am a member. I can't help but notice the vast difference between the t

How To Create Social Media Soup: A Recipe For Disaster

Published on 2010-12-01 06:30:01

Just eight ingredients, 3 hours and a quarter. That's all you need to create social media soup.Planning Time: 15 minutesPrep Time: 45 minutesPost-mortem Meeting Time: 2 hoursWaiting Time: One quarterServes: Fewer than you promisedIngredients list:Two

How to Select An Online Community Software Vendor

Published on 2010-11-22 14:34:07

by Vanessa DiMauro and Ryck Lent Last week I blogged about how to build an online community and offered a detailed process overview to help organizations get started envisioning their community. While the community strategy, business goals and membe

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Blog Feed: Building online communities for business

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