Government Agencies Breathe Information

There is no shortage of content material in a normal government agency. Information and data tend to be the bread and butter of most agencies, either in form of reports or databases. From these two categories plenty of opinion, politics, conjecture and public sentiment can be generated. As a result, many in government agency management tend to be skittish about letting staff operate too freely with managed communication and messaging to the public. However, where a given agency can get past the initial fear of someone saying the wrong thing, social media tools have become extremely helpful in conveying valuable information to the public as well as updating stakeholders and constituents on what the agency is up to.

The Military Does Social Media

For anyone who has been involved in government contracting, it’s a ponderous process filled with paperwork, filings and the formal bid process. However, social media has allowed a number of federal agencies to network those vendors they already know have capacity and skill to handle projects early on, making sure that bids are received from such companies. The U.S. Department of Defense is one such player, using a Twitter account to give subscribing vendors a heads up on new military contracts long before they are formally posted to the Federal Register. This provides the key player plenty of time to prepare bids and information before the time window for bids is launched. The military benefits by receiving bids from capable contractors who are ready to do the job and have a proven capability to meet government needs.

Social Media Allows Greater Public Interaction

Prior to the Internet, when people wanted to interact with a government agency it was either face-to-face in public meetings, by representative, or by letter. Today, social media allows government program staff and the public to interact on a far greater level, allowing government agencies the ability to gauge public reaction far faster to program direction changes. This benefit then helps agencies understand their stakeholders better, determine reactions to policy decisions faster, and potentially avoid embarrassing mistakes with public sentiment. Now, a government agency can simply post a Facebook update on an idea or new program and by the level of commentary know if it’s a good idea to continue or if the approach is better left on the back shelf. This fact is not lost on the White House and other political offices.

Social Media Boosts Government Education

Having a venue that allows for a constant stream of changing content is Shangri-La for many government offices. Too often thousands of reports sit buried in folders or libraries, never seeing the light of day. However, with social media, agencies can now “re-publish” their reports and receive interaction as well as viral dissemination of the publicized data. It’s a bit like re-issuing an old vinyl record for some of the program staff involved; they get to see their hard work take flight again with a new crowd of readers. For readers, they get to see a regular flow of new information about what government is doing with taxpayer dollars. Right or wrong, that’s far more education now available regarding government than ten or twenty years ago.

Image Credits: [Iterasi]

1. If you do just one thing, participate. Listening to what your customers are saying is a great first step, but to actually take full advantage of the power of social you need to participate, one-on-one, with your customers.”
-Dave Evans, VP of Social Strategy and Co-Founder at Social Dynamx

2. Your best investment in caring for your customers is to be a good listener. Hop onto social media to hear what your clients and prospects are saying. Show empathy when it’s warranted to turn a sour situation into a win. Nurture your raving fans, and you may just never have to sell again!
-Denise O’Berry, Small Business Expert

3. Social media isn’t seen as a marketing strategy by your customer; it’s seen as an open door to communicate, voice opinions, ask questions and – especially – complain about your products and services. The means with which your company handles those requests in public can be the best marketing strategy you’ve ever deployed… or it can spell doom.
-Douglas Karr, CEO of DK New Media, Founder of Marketing Technology Blog, and Author of Corporate Blogging for Dummies

4. So many companies are diving into the social media space with the all-encompassing customer acquisition angle in mind. But social networks, especially platforms like Facebook, are opt-in channels where the audience must want to follow you. This is inherently a customer retention environment. Sure, you can gain customers through social channels, but if you’re not caring for the ones you have first, you’re missing the boat … and perhaps losing them while you’re at it.
-Jason Falls, CEO of Social Media Explorer

5. Whether your company likes it or not, customer service is now a spectator sport. Social media is the new telephone, and if companies in your category are assisting customers via social channels and your company is not, the perception is that you care less than they do. Rightly or wrongly, we’ve found ourselves in the middle of a real-time customer service arms race.
-Jay Baer, Social Media Keynote Speaker and Co-Author of The NOW Revolution

6. If your business is looking to add customer care to your social media plan, the very first thing you need to do is set the parameters of how you will deal with the requests. Spell out on your profiles the time available, type of assistance (if there are limitations) and include the names of any specific people monitoring the social media account (e.g., “monitored by Jane and Craig”) so that people can know who they are connecting with. On the back-end, your organization needs to be clear on how you will deal with both positive and negative comments. Have a strategy in place for how the support team will respond.
-Kathy Colaiacovo, Online Marketing & Social Media Consultant with Social 4 Business and Principal at Time on Task Virtual Assistant Services

7. For corporate brands using their social media presence to engage the public in a customer care capacity, the key to success is responsiveness, especially on Twitter. Honest feedback is a gift to a company. While no one likes to see unhappy customers criticizing their brand, one upset customer does not mean a crisis. Create a routine policy for how to respond to customer service challenges, so that your most outspoken customers do not get rewarded for taking their grief to Facebook. Remember, everyone likes free stuff. Keep in mind that if your company resolves things well, often the person with the issue will share how well they were treated, so this could be a great way to build goodwill and customer loyalty.
-Melinda Emerson, President of MFE Consulting, SMB Expert, and Author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months

8. If you are investing in social media for marketing or outreach, then you also need to invest in social media for responding to customers – both in terms of customer service and in responding to comments, both positive and negative. You have to be active and engaged – it can’t just be a ‘dip in and dip out’ activity.
-Rhonda Abrams, USA Today Columnist, CEO of The Planning Shop, and Author of Bringing the Cloud Down to Earth

Hear Baochi Nguyen present at Social Media Strategies Summit in Boston October 23-25, 2012!

In recent years, however, Intel has been shining in the marketplace. What’s more, the company’s marketing efforts have been remarkable and memorable. One big example: Intel is leading the charge in social media innovation. Have you taken a look at their YouTube channel lately? It’s all about thought leadership, future tech, and customers.

All of this leads me to unveil Intel’s latest marketing gift to the world: an online tool that creates an infographic of your digital life based on your Facebook, Twitter, and/or YouTube page. As far as I can determine, it’s not possible at this time to create an infographic for brands. As you can see, I’ve posted my digital life, courtesy of Intel. By the way, Intel states it “does not store your personal information.”

I couldn’t locate more details on the significance of each section, and I’m not sure I agree with the general explanations for the data. According to the Intel tool, I say “beautiful” and “pretty” quite frequently on Facebook. But I’m not sure these two words represent “the things I care about most.” I guess the argument could be made that I live a beautiful life filled with pretty moments.

A few other tidbits about my digital life, according to Intel:

• These are my top topics:
  • Fashion: 22% — odd one
  • Food: 20%
  • Art/Photo: 17%
  • Tech: 9%
• I tend to post during the evening: 65% of the time

Check it out and see if you are surprised by the findings.

Passion is something that most of us understand at a visceral level. But practically speaking, what does passion look like and how does passion manifest in the community management role? I reached out to eleven social media Yodas for their definitions of community management “passion.” Below are their wise words.

1 – “Passion is the never ending desire to engage, respond to and delight one’s community, whether it is for work or in many cases, for pleasure or personal interest.” Aaron Strout, head of location based marketing at WCG and co-author of Location Based Marketing for Dummies

2 – “The passion that drives the community manager, like the passion that drives a parent, is hard to define but easy to spot: It’s a combination of genuine love for the subject, a profound care for the outcome, and sense of shared pride in the success of the community as a whole.” Dave Evans, author of Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day and The Next Generation of Business Engagement

3 – “Community management passion can be for the brand or for customers. It is the type of person who jumps up and down trying to change things for the better.” - Frank Eliason, SVP of social for Citi

4 – “Passion equals creativity, and an effective communications manager needs that passion to roll with the punches and deliver quality content and 2,000+ ideas — every day — in an environment with bosses who only remember your last hit.” – Jake Wengroff, global director of social media strategy and research at Frost & Sullivan

5 – “Passion is best described as the overriding fuel that makes someone want to do something. In community management, it’s that spark in someone’s brain that makes them love talking to customers. Or in other roles it’s the love of pounding out code or processing that paperwork. They feel like their role is critical to the overall operation and the company would fail without them. Whether it’s true or not is irrelevant. It’s that fuel in our minds that makes us weather any storm to do our job.” – Jason Falls, owner of Social Media Explorer

6 – “Passion is about doing the work you were born to do, when no customer question is too banal, no complaint too frustrating, no response time too quick. Passion shows. And it matters.” – Jay Baer, social media strategist, keynote speaker, and co-author of The Now Revolution

7 – “Passion is being a champion for your brand and your brand’s fans. It requires a lot of time, but it’s worth it with every thank you, or comment of appreciation from one of your fans. My recommendations are to work for a brand that you believe in and be committed to telling that brand’s story each and every day. Showcase that dedication by engaging with your brand’s fans in a way that encourages a two-way dialogue and shows you care about their questions, comments and feedback.” Jessica Gioglio, PR/social media manager for Dunkin’ Donuts

8 – “First of all, I think everyone is a community manager at some level, in some place. Their passion for that idea/issue/product is what gets them to engage in that capacity. A CEO might look like a CM to his core team…his/her passion for growing a successful business is what drives him/her. This is why often times companies tap highly engaged community members to become the CM for a community. They’re already passionate about the topic and community. The best CMs temper their passion with a desire to help others and an understanding of strategic goals. They’re selfless, whereas someone who’s simply passionate might be more focused on what’s best for them.” – Jim Storer, community manager & social media strategist with The Community Roundtable

9 – “There’s a fine line between passion and over-zealousness. A passionate community manager is one who can represent the community (or the brand or company or product) with a levelheaded spirit and enthusiasm that doesn’t cross the line into fanaticism.” – Mark H. Anbinder, IT consultant at Cornell University and contributing editor at TidBITS

10 – “Passion in a social media manager is an overwhelming desire and commitment to excellence in execution. It’s that uncontrollable drive to foster relationships and provide value to your company’s target markets. Passion comes from a core belief in mutual benefit.” – Robert M. Caruso, CEO of Bundle Post

11 – “Passion is a great buzz word, but at the end of the day, you don’t get to explain it…you feel it. It is like an electricity and when you are lucky enough to be around someone who has it, you know it and it is infectious. A person who is passionate about what they do can excite other people to want to engage. That is why passionate community managers are amazing…they are not faking it. They love the brand, so it is easy for them to be believable and transparent.” Terra Spero, mco-founder and CEO of RealTime Marketing Group

Baochi, author of this post, will be presenting at Social Media Strategies Summit – Las Vegas February 7-9.  Check out our full speaker line-up, agenda at a glance and who should attend to find out why Social Media Strategies Summit is the must attend event of 2012.  Consider attending Social Media Strategies Summit in Las Vegas February 7-9, 2012 where over 50 presenters will be facilitating workshops and sessions over three days.  This event is a 6 track summit: 1) B2B 2) B2B 3) Nonprofit/Government 4) Regulated Industries 5) Small – Medium Size Business 6) Entertainment with 12 interactive workshops.  Register today for early bird pricing.If you’re interested in attending Social Media Strategies Summit – Las VegasTake advantage of group discounts and our early bird discounts today!

But Facebook’s newest changes — Timeline, Ticker, Stories — have me furious. Specifically, I’m talking about how Facebook has really screwed us over by allowing social apps — BY DEFAULT — to see and post our online activities even if we have not clicked to share specific content.

I’m betting the majority of Facebook users don’t remember which social apps are associated to their accounts — and it’s not their fault. There are plenty of instances when you might not be aware (or remember) a social app has been added to your Facebook account. For instance, have you ever read an article on CNN and then clicked on the Facebook “Recommend” or “Like” button within the article?

The first time you share to Facebook from sites with social apps, a pop-up box displays asking you to grant that site permission to access your Facebook information. If you click on “Allow,” you add the CNN app to your Facebook account.

Once you’ve added the app, anytime you “Recommend” or “Like” content on CNN, that action will appear in your Facebook newsfeed.

That doesn’t sound too nefarious, right? Well, it wasn’t until Facebook’s newest changes. Now, these social apps can post your online activity even if you don’t take an action such as clicking to share or posting a comment. So for example, the CNN app can post to Facebook that you’re reading an article about STDs, watching a work-inappropriate video, or viewing photos of transsexual midgets. Even if your interests in those topics have no personal relevancy, are you okay with what others may think or assume about you when they see your activity in Facebook’s ticker? My opinion: I want complete control over what I broadcast to the Internet. When I want to share specific content, I will take action to do so. Otherwise, it’s not okay to automatically broadcast my passive online activities.

Facebook does allow you to customize app permissions. But guess what? They’ve designed it so the default setting for auto-sharing is ON for ALL apps. Worse, Facebook does not make it easy to disable this auto-sharing feature. As of now, you must either remove all apps completely or modify each app individually. What’s missing is something in between — an easy setting that disables the auto-sharing feature across all apps — without necessarily removing the apps. After all, I do want to retain certain share features, such as the ability to click “Like” from my favorite websites at my own choosing.

So for me, that means I have to spend several hours customizing my Facebook apps — all 131 of them:

Want to know what that looks like exactly? Here’s an example of app settings:

You want to remove the two settings I have circled above (or remove the app completely). Now multiply this effort by 131 times and that’s my personal effort.

My hope is that Facebook is still making tweaks to its new platform so by the time everyone has migrated to the new Facebook format and platform, this privacy issue and a few other UI hiccups will be resolved. Let’s wait and see what happens.

Top 5 Tips for Building and Engaging a Superfan Community:

1.       Define Superfan Criteria

What makes a customer extra-special to your brand? Define the criteria for choosing superfans to guide your selection process. Some considerations:

• Longtime and/or frequent customers
• People who recommend your brand on blogs, Twitter, public Facebook posts, etc.
• Folks who give kudos to your brand on blogs, Twitter, public Facebook posts, etc.
• Regular conversationalists on your Facebook wall, on Twitter, etc.
• Customers who take the time to provide feedback (even if in a grouchy tone) for improving your brand’s product/service
• Supporters who forgive your brand’s flaws, mistakes or occasional mishaps

2.       Keep Track of Superfans

Maintain lists of existing and potential superfans so you know exactly who deserves a little love now and then. Monitor this list on a daily basis. At Boingo Wireless, we keep track of superfans through:

• Twitter lists
• A Facebook photo gallery
• A Flickr set
• Google+ circles

Superfans also should be labeled in your CRM/CMS platform.

3.       Engage Superfans

Deepen the superfan bond through authentic interactions. Hey, you already have one major common interest – your brand! So engage with superfans about topics relevant to your industry. Here are some examples of how I engage with Boingo superfans:

• Monitor the superfan Twitter list and re-tweet or reply to superfan tweets pertaining to the brand’s industry or expertise.
• Be more than just a brand  — be human. Engage occasionally on topics that are important to superfans – even if these topics are irrelevant to the brand. See a superfan tweet about a recent accomplishment? Send congratulations. Did a superfan tweet about a sick pet? Give sympathy and well-wishes.
• Always thank superfans (and anyone else) for brand shout-outs and encourage suggestions for improvement.
• Be friendly, sincere and – in the words of Gary Kawasaki – enchanting.

4.       Give Superfans the VIP Treatment

A formal superfan program goes beyond occasional thank yous. Show superfans how important they are to your brand’s community by giving them the VIP treatment. At Boingo, we give superfans special treatment by:

• Providing exclusive/pre-release information on products and services.
• Featuring superfans on social networks and in special initiatives. For example, Boingo superfans are featured on the blog and various social channels. They are also pictured as the “guests of honor” on a special site we built to celebrate our ten-year anniversary and recent IPO. Superfans, by design, have publicly given kudos to your brand. Reciprocate in kind with a public honoring.
• Surprising superfans with gifts. As part of the Boingo 10-year anniversary initiative, we sent superfans thank you gifts for being a part of our ten-year business growth. Every individual received a different gift based on the interests expressed through his/her social posts. The gifts were modest but the reactions of delight were priceless.
• Delivering beyond excellent customer care. Excellence should always be the standard for customer service. Every customer deserves no less. With superfans, you want to take that standard and kick it up a few notches. This can be accomplished in subtle but meaningful ways such as acknowledging a customer’s superfan status when they contact support or escalating a superfan’s inquiry to your best agent. Create an automated CRM/CMS reminder to follow up on a superfan and ensure their support issue has been truly resolved.

5.       Take a No-Strings Approach

A good, effective superfan community is about strengthening the existing loyalty that certain customers have for your brand. It’s great if a deeper superfan bond results in continued or increased positive brand mentions but this shouldn’t be your core motive. Isn’t it enough that you’ve made happy customers even happier, therefore increasing the chances they will continue to buy your product/service? If superfans feel they are expected to promote or mention your brand, then some of the authentic brand affinity erodes. Don’t burden your superfans – honor and delight them!

5 Dos and Don’ts for Building and Engaging a Superfan Community:

1.       Superfan Selection:

• Don’t choose superfans based on the size of their network and influence.
• Do target relevant influencers, develop a rapport and – if all goes well – consider them superfans.

2.       Number of Superfans:

• Don’t make it a numbers game – it’s not about the quantity of superfans.
• Do aim for a quality list of superfans. If you continue to deliver a great product, service and level of engagement, your superfan list will grow organically.

3.       Frequency of Engagement:

• Don’t stalk or pester your superfans by reaching out too many times.
• Do engage when it’s natural, e.g., customer care follow-up, thank you for kudos, re-tweet or reply tweet on a relevant topic.

4.       Nature of engagement:

• Don’t make your superfans work. These are folks with genuine loyalty towards your brand and your aim is to maintain and extend that loyalty by showing your appreciation. Frequently asking superfans to promote your contests or push your new product is like asking them to work for free. Requesting product endorsements also falls into the work category and what’s more, it’s not genuine.
• Do invite superfans to participate in promotions and fun activities. Boingo superfans have judged contests and led community discussions.

5.       Superfan Qualification

• Don’t make your superfan community an exclusive club. If superfan memberships are perceived as elite or closed, you’ll risk alienating people (think of customers who aren’t active or as vociferous in social networks).
• Do accept anyone who expresses genuine interest in joining the community.

Interested in learning more from Baochi Nguyen?  She will be presenting on our B2B track at the upcoming Social Media Strategies Summit in Boston September 20-22. Early bird and group discounts still available. Visit our website or contact Michael Roche at Michael.roche@gsmiweb.com or call 888.409.4418 x4

I began my adventures on Scoop.it by creating one topic of personal interest: books. Over the course of six weeks, I created five more personal topics, including one that features social media tips and another that features opinions at the extremes of the mainstream. Additionally, I opened an account for the company I represent. Now that I’m quite familiar with Scoop.it, I’m convinced that it’s an applicable platform for professionals (e.g., journalists, teachers, marketers), as well as individuals.

Let’s start with the beauty of Scoop.it from an individual perspective. As I mentioned, the first topic I created, “Read Ye, Read Ye,” is based on my lifelong love of books. When I’m not reading a book, an activity typically reserved for nighttime, I’m talking and reading articles about books. My curation approach on Read Ye, Read Ye varies: some posts are written entirely by me and displayed with a relevant graphic I find on the Internet; other posts include a link to an article with the accompanying photo or logo displayed and an excerpt/summary in quotes; and a smattering of posts simply feature a link to an article, its headline, and a graphic. Since my Twitter and Facebook accounts are linked to Scoop.it, I have the option of publishing any of my posts to those social networks. Here’s my book curation site as it appears to readers:

Several tools make it easy and fun to manage topics on Scoop.it:

-      Finding content is never a problem with the “Suggested Topics” feature, a list of potential posts based on keywords, websites, Twitter users/lists, and/or RSS feeds selected by the curator.

-      Anyone can read articles (both the original and the curator’s post), follow a topic, comment on a post, add an RSS feed, and suggest articles (which the curator can accept or decline to publish) — without needing to create a Scoop.it account. Those who follow a topic receive a once daily email summary of the articles recently published.

-      Curators can assess the readership of their topics through real-time statistics.

-      A bookmarklet tool that resides on the browser toolbar makes it convenient to quickly add content that is discovered while surfing the Internet. A mobile version of the bookmarklet is also available.

-      Curators can customize topic pages by color, images, icons or templates.

While I can’t take credit for most of my posted, or “scooped” articles, nor the design and layout of my Scoop.it pages, I still nonetheless find my curated creations endlessly gratifying. After all, I am responsible for finding the best, most relevant information (in an otherwise data-overloaded social Internet age) on a subject matter I and my readers are passionate about.

Now, onto the business applicability and potential of Scoop.it. Currently, there aren’t many brands or companies currently using the platform, but I’m betting this will change significantly once Scoop.it is no longer in beta and launches officially to the general public. Why? Because Scoop.it is a simple and well-designed platform where industry experts can showcase their knowledge, dispense advice, and share data – all without having to build and maintain a website. Here are some potential scenarios:

-      You’re a financial advisor. To attract and build a customer base, you curate a page about “Investment Data and Trends.” Your posts might be a combination of those you’ve written yourself, as well as articles written by others and vetted by you as potentially helpful to your audience. All the information on your page, which has been skillfully curated by you is a public display of your expertise, thereby making your more credible to potential customers who may pay for your financial advice.
-      You teach an online class in which you encourage online interactions among your students in lieu of in-person class discussions. You create a Scoop.it page where you post problem sets, articles for required reading, and instructional videos. Students can post answers to problem sets, ask questions, suggest relevant articles, and compete in online trivia questions.
-      You run a company with limited marketing resources but it’s important to the business that you have a blog. Your blog can be your Scoop.it page: it can be re-skinned in your brand’s design palette, and the url can be a re-directed sub-domain within your website’s domain name. Now you can simply post articles relevant to your business and when you have time, you can also write your own articles about product/service announcements or troubleshooting tips.

Recently, I met with the two leaders of the Scoop.it team: CEO Guillaume Decugis and President Marc Rougier. The Silicon Valley veterans said that the company’s current focus includes:

-      The mobile experience – Scoop.it, on-the-go!
-      The interest graph  — highly relevant, highly personalized content and connections.
-      The premium platform – a paid option for businesses that includes customization, detailed analytics, url re-direct, and API access. The premium platform will also be ad-free, whereas the free one will feature ads.

As both Scoop.it executives explained, these focus points were largely guided by user feedback.

I’m constantly testing out different social media solutions, and Scoop.it is a standout. The platform has great potential as a business tool; and for personal curation, it’s an indulgent experience. I’m excited to watch this company grow.

Scoop.it is still in beta, but you can apply for an invite through the site or you leave a comment letting me know you want to score an account (while supplies last).

A search on my first and last name revealed six profiles that included addresses. One profile listed my former residence and another listed my current residence. When I clicked on the profile with my current address, a pop-up appeared with a menu of personal data options. For a fee, I could gain access to a “full report.”

I signed up for a 3-month account at $4.95 per month and gained access to the following details about me:

• Basic information: ethnicity, age, gender
• Complete home address with street and satellite views
• The number of occupants in my home (inaccurate)
• An average demographic profile of my neighborhood
• A search of my personal email address resulted in nothing, but my business email address revealed:
• Basic employer information
• Blog articles I’ve authored
• Social networks I belong to
• Several photos (nothing embarrassing)
• A search of my primary phone number revealed:
• My median income
• If available (not in my case!), Spokeo also provides the following::
• Economic and wealth levels
• Relationship status
• Home value
• Religion

I did not see a field for credit scores, as mentioned in the FoxNews article.

All in all, aside from the availability of my home address and estimated income, the information on me wasn’t too plentiful. No cause for alarm here.

While the existence of sites like Spokeo are annoying — even disturbing — they are not operating illegally, according to this TechCrunch article.
So meanwhile, how can  you maximize your online privacy?
- Remove your information from Spokeo by clicking here.
- Subscribe to an identity protection service such as Experian or Equifax.
Have you  had a negative experience with personal data sites like Spokeo? Please share your story.