1 – Tell us what you do in 140 characters or less?

I talk to digital marketers and try to help them out.

2 – Give us the elevator pitch for Econsultancy?

We always say we’re trying to make the online experience better, one website at a time. A complete resource for digital marketers? We have a lot of things happening – best practice and market data research, events, training, qualifications… so we probably need a ‘freight elevator pitch’ at least!

3 – Econsultancy has an excellent blog, how important is the blog to the business?

Incredibly important. We like to think that everything we do is based around great content. The blog is the best way to ensure that the content reaches people. Our social channels are an extension of that, where we can target content more accurately. We try hard to cut through the usual marketing waffle and just get the most relevant stuff to the people who need it.

The blog is the most visited page on the site, so it drives a huge amount of traffic, and is great for positioning the company as a thought leader, as well as more concrete monetary value. We can promote and upsell reports and services there. Previously we published insight and opinion, but we’ve now added a news operation to the mix, which is a useful way of attracting audiences who may not have known about us before.

We’re in the middle of overhauling the blog as well, with a new look and a greater emphasis on opinion and segmenting useful content –exciting stuff for us.

4 – What do you think of the recent Facebook/Instagram story? Has the world gone mad?

Haha, it IS a LOT of money isn’t it? I don’t think it’s madness though. Some commentators have said it smacks of desperation on Facebook’s part, but I think it shows that Facebook isn’t stagnant and is willing to make brave moves.

I do think there’s a bit of a bubble forming – is Path really worth $250 million? But currently it’s being over-egged in the press because it makes a good headline.

The disillusion on the part of Instagram users will go away over time, providing Facebook can resist the temptation to meddle with the simplicity of the app. Just add sharing in and leave it. It’ll be useful for people to be able to store all their pics within Facebook. I always think Facebook’s biggest problem is that no one really, really loves it anymore. It’s just a useful thing that’s there. Loving it would be like loving telephones. It’s a smart move for FB to offer things people do love, on an personal and an artistic level.

Is Instagram worth $1bn? Probably not, but it’s a great app with a strong user base and it adds to Facebook’s functionality so I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad move.

5 – Do you feel that the social media channel is starting to reach maturity as a business/marketing tool?

That’s actually a really hard question to answer. I think it’s becoming more integrated, and (some) businesses are realizing the incredible things you can do with data now, but I think that’s true of the marketing industry at large.

We’re seeing big increases in marketing-sales automation, and lately more tech/sales crossover as well. I think the really successful companies will be the ones that adopt more of a spoke and hub organizational structure going forward, with more collaboration and information sharing, which social is ideally positioned to lead, as it tends to work most effectively when it’s inclusive within a company.

I think in general businesses will just have to adopt an ‘ego-less’ model, with staff who know a bit about everything and have a specialism. We’ll see…

People tend to think of ‘maturity’ in terms of ‘does it turn a profit?’. Of course it does, but I think a lot of people still struggle with the dreaded ROI question. The return is whatever you want it to be. If you use it as a PR channel, it won’t make as much cash as a sales-orientated campaign. That’s obvious, but still not understood by a lot of users.

That said, it’s still early days for social. Listen to a talk on digital and you still get people saying ‘oh, I work on Twitter or whatever it’s called…’ there’s that odd disconnect, which leads to devaluation. Every blog I read on Twitter has ten comments which say ‘Twitter is a waste of time full of people talking about their lunch’, which is true, but so is every real life conversation you’ve ever had, otherwise it’s all advertising.

Relevance is always the key. Find the right people, at the right time, and give them something useful.
Whether that’s a discount on a coffee or an extended technical collaboration, it’s just about knowing the customer better and responding to them in a timely fashion, it’s not rocket science. Platforms can help you find the audience and the individuals, but you just need to up your level of service and be fairly transparent about things.

The bigger problem is that social is easy to get on, which means it’s easy to do badly. Businesses need to get out of the ivory tower mindset and just get on with it. Sure top customers should get special treatment, but there are more intelligent ways of finding and approaching them than a Klout score and a pre-written Direct Message. I’m glad to see that a most of the low-level gurus are being cleaned out now, but again, that slight disconnect does still leave room for snake oil in a lot of markets.

Mature? Not yet. There’s plenty of room left for change and innovation. Useful, profitable and measurable? Absolutely.

6 – Twitter has yet to really crack the monetisation issue, if you were in charge, what would you do?

On day one I’d instigate a ‘pro user’ version. Added filters, searches and integrated ad serving. Bolster the business guide. Give people more relevant ‘who to follows’ for starters, and give some sort of – and I hesitate to use this word –influence rating. I believe with the right level of data, it’s absolutely possible to work out factors like ‘how many retweets will X person generate on average in a year. You can base this on internal data, but also link it to their wider social and online graph.

On the back end some clearer metrics and analytics would be good for advertisers. It’s still very difficult to work out who clicked on a tweet because it was promoted and who clicked on it organically. You can figure it out, but frankly, you shouldn’t have to. We’ve built a tool internally so that we can segment more easily, which given the amount of information Twitter has, would be very easy to put into action.

I do occasionally think that as a company, they don’t really innovate. When you think back on it, most of the innovations like Hastagging, search filters etc etc, came from users, rather than Twitter. They’re a great company but they could do a lot more.

Oh – and a ‘leisure filter’. A large button I can click that means my tweets only go to users I’ve set as ‘friends’. My business contacts have no desire to read about me going to see Slayer, so give me an easy way to remove that.

7 – What does the rest of 2012 hold for you?

Lots of exciting stuff! I mentioned the blog update, but we’re also working to beef up our video offering going forward, so lot’s of playing with cameras around the office. Lots of new reports, and an expanded events calendar. We’ve also just launched ten new digital graduate certificate courses, we have more students coming on board for our MSc’s, and we’re looking at the problem of resourcing. We’re looking at attracting people with degrees in different disciplines to digita. Maths or English students probably don’t consider online careers, but they’d make great analysts or copywriters, so we’re encouraging that crossover. We’ve also just launched our Sydney office, and are continuing to expand in the US, MENA and Asia. Interesting times all round.

Big thanks to Matt for his time! You can follow him on Twitter here.

You do so much! Can you try and summarise it in 140 characters?

Speaker, strategist, and big thinker. Also has two shorter people who call her mom.

The Daily Disney looks like a great thing to be involved in, how did that come about for you?

Disney was one of the first brands to embrace the idea of working with bloggers and online influencers. My career path is ‘blog to job’, meaning that I was (and am) a blogger for many many years before joining my current agency. During my ‘blog only’ years (think pre-twitter) Disney approached me to become part of their network. Since I live in Orange County, Ca. Disneyland has always been a huge part of my life, so this was a very natural fit. I enjoy promoting a brand that has so much good to promote. I hope to deepen my relationship with them in years to come.

How important do you see the role of a Community Manager in the business world today?

The community manager is the most important role in any business. What? I know I sound like a crazy person- but who else is talking directly to your customers? Who else is mitigating conflict and crisis in real time? Who else is providing wise customer service and entertainment value? In many ways the community manager is the digital spokesperson for the brand, and as we watch digital marketing grow- so too will the importance of the community manager.

What are some of the biggest challenges for a CM?

Clients. Not getting them, but convincing them to let their community drive their actions. Too often, the brand pre-determines the direction they want a community to go- but it is the community manager who knows if a technique or strategy is resonating. I have been known to say (here is where I quote myself) ‘hire smart people and then let them do what you can’t’.

What three tips would you give for someone looking to deliver a killer business presentation/talk?

Well, there are three things all great speakers have in common. They have found a balance between all three…

1. Entertain the audience so they forget it is a presentation. Be funny, be sincere….and be fascinating.
2. Educate the audience with real data and facts. Top level theory is fine- but real ‘pocketable’ tool and knowledge are even better.
3. Enlighten the audience to think about old topics in new ways. Re-think what has already been said and find ways to make sure that audience member leaves inspired.

You’ve got a pretty high Klout score, do you see a future is social scoring?

I love Klout and use it professionally to assess the quality of bloggers and influencers all the time. I know- you are surprised right? But once you realize what Klout IS and what it isn’t most people see a value in it. Klout measures, in a glance someone’s online ACTIVITY. Not the quality of the activity or even the level of influence. But it shows how much they are publishing and interacting in the social space. Of course it is no relection on the quality of that activity, but I don’t see this going away anytime soon. In fact I see it growing in importance.

What are you looking forward to in the rest of 2012?

I am excited to be speaking at a few GSMI events, BlogWorld and others. Speaking is really my happy place. I love to help others achieve awesome. Beyond that, I am eager to see how Google Plus plays out. I see big things for Google and this platform- so I am eager to see them start making changes to make that a reality.

Thanks very much to Marcy for her time! You can follow here on Twitter here and connect on Google Plus here.

Please describe what you do in 140 characters or less

Business leader, bestselling author, keynote speaker, global agent of change, driver of profits for high-growth companies, sometime cowboy.

Jeffrey, it’s fair to say you have been around the marketing block! What has been the biggest and most challenging change in the field during your career?

Jeffrey Hayzlett (credit - http://www.cnbc.com/id/22346435)

Sometimes the biggest challenge can be just getting the work done. I’m a driver of change, and the first step to changing something is recognizing that it needs to be changed. I’ve been a business professional for many years now, and I often meet people who see things are bad, but won’t read the writing on the wall. I also come across people who see things need to be changed, and yet don’t enact the necessary changes in order to drive the success their business needs.

You were the CMO at Kodak for four years. Many people are offering their thoughts on the demise of the company but few have been as close to it as you, what do you think has gone wrong for them?

I’m still a big cheerleader for Kodak and I am hoping for the best for the company. The concentration has been too many bets across the line, and when you run up against a bad economy, that’s what happens. But for Kodak, the pivotal moment was back in 1975 when they invented the digital camera and chose to put it aside in order to live out the film business for so long. That effort in the 70s, 80s and 90s led up to this big build with all the overhead that meant they couldn’t see it till the end.

Jobs in marketing and in particular digital, have never been more in-demand, what one piece of advice would you give to young people looking to make their mark on the industry?

My advice for young people in marketing and digital is to know what you want, and just go out and get it. Easier said than done, I know. But when you have a clear goal and an in-depth understanding of what you want to achieve, potential employers will value that and recognize how that trait can add value to their business.

Do you think brands are starting to grasp the need for an integrated approach to marketing or are too many still working in silos?

There are some companies that are doing a great job of recognizing that it’s not the traditional business we grew so very comfortable with. More and more, we’re seeing brands embrace mobile, social media and online to compliment their traditional marketing activities like direct mail, and print and television advertising. Those are the brands that are reaching their customers and learning what they want, and delivering! Those are the brands that have a better chance of succeeding. There are definitely too many brands still continuing to work in silos, and that’s going to be to the detriment of their business.

What does 2012 hold for you, anything you are particularly looking forward to?

I have great team who keep me motivated and excited about the future of our business. The release of my new bestseller Running the Gauntlet is keeping us busy, in addition to building on the strength of our PR and consulting business. 2012 is all about driving growth and motivating others to become change agents within their organization.

Give us the elevator pitch for the book!

What’s stopping you from making the changes your business needs to thrive? You’ve always had the ability to institute positive change in your company. Now with Running the Gauntlet, I can give you the inspiration and knowledge to make it happen and take control of it – instead of letting it control you. I’m Jeffrey Hayzlett, bestselling author and global business authority, and I am passionate about driving change and leadership, and helping you grow profits.

Running the Gauntlet builds on the principles from my first bestseller, The Mirror Test, and will take you on a step-by-step journey to
-Develop a “takeover mentality” and execute the right changes and deal with any disruptions they may cause
-Summon the vision and courage necessary for driving change and sustaining your company’s newfound momentum
-Sharpen the mental and emotional toughness to make strategic, lasting change

Change is already happening all around you. The most dangerous move in business is the failure to make a move at all.

Massive thanks to Jeffrey for his time! Stay tuned for the next instalment of Thought Leader Thursday!

Tell us what you do in 140 characters or less?

 

So, it’s fair to say you are a busy man! If you could give people one tip for managing their time, what would it be? 

It would have to be “focus.”  Be clear about what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. It’s easy to go down the rabbit hole, especially when you become immersed in the social web! 

Would it be fair to say that Twitter has been a great catalyst for you and your business interests? What has it brought you that was missing in those not so long ago pre-Twitter days?

It is not too bold to say that Twitter has changed my business and my life. The connections I have made through this platform have become customers, trusted business colleagues and friends. The big advantage this has had for me was the ability to network far beyond traditional business barriers.

Your new book, Return on Influence, explores the world of personal online influence, helping people to understand how it is measured and to harness the power it can create. Do you think we are looking at a world that will give more and more importance to such metrics? 

Without question. We are in a world of incredible information density so people are hungry for shortcuts to help them make decisions. Social proof “badges” like the number of Twitter followers or a Klout score are important in this regard. That’s not to say that is necessarily a good thing, but it is a business reality we need to acknowledge and deal with. Also, I think Klout is on the brink of really going mainstream beyond the small social media community. When that happens, there will be quite a frenzy of activity to try to understand these scores and how to improve them.  That is all covered in the book (Return on Influence), of course. 

Here we are in January 2012, what do you see as the biggest challenges facing businesses in the coming year? 

That is quite a broad question and I would like to narrow it to digital marketing.  I think Internet privacy and the Anti-piracy issues will continue to dominate headlines. These are absolutely critical issues that will have to be addressed with some sort of regulation … and the Internet HATES regulation, so it will be an interesting year. 

And finally, what does 2012 hold for you? 

Of course the launch of the new book in a few weeks is kind of a watershed event. Return On Influence is unlike any other marketing book out there right now and plows entirely new ground so this should be exciting.  I am also working on a new video educational series on my website called Social Media From Scratch (February), a new speaking tour, and my next book, which is starting to firm up as an outline. Lots of exciting developments! 

Massive thanks to Mark for his time! Stay tuned for the next instalment of Thought Leader Thursday!

How does the NCAA ensure that fans of college sports across the USA are provided with the content they crave? Well, social media has a massive part to play in this relationship and the man that makes the magic happen is the super-talented Ronnie Ramos. I threw him a few questions, which he happily caught. Like a top college football wide receiver. Read on for some great insight…

Manage NCAA’s digital platforms to get our messages out and to engage college sports fans with unique content.

Our mission is to provide student-athletes the best opportunity to compete, learn and prepare to become successful members of society.

We have several key roles: we want to tell the student-athlete story so the public knows there are many success stories out there; we want to engage fans and grow our championships by giving fans unique, behind- the-scene content they can’t get anywhere else and we want to get our message out directly to the public on major NCAA initiatives,

Social media has made our communication more timely and more interactive. We are still improving, but the biggest thing social media has done is allowed us to get information to the public directly and for us to be part of the conversation about intercollegiate athletics.

We do not regulate the social media Use of our member institutions. They are free to use social media as they determine is the best way for them. As a member-driven organization, the national office serves the membership.

We have three full-time employees who work exclusively on social media and oversee our strategy. We have about 6-10 others (including me) who help out at specific times of the year on specific projects.

Focus on engaging your audience. Define a few specific goals and don’t try to do all things and be everything for all people.

We are trying to improve our presence on YouTube and still searching for the right use of foursquare for our fans. We also are looking at how provide fans attending our championships with a better in-game experience via mobile.

Massive thanks to Ronnie for taking the time to answer my questions. Stay tuned for the next instalment of Thought Leader Thursday!

Tell us what you do in 140 characters or less?

VP and Small Biz Evangelist for Vocus. Founder of HARO. Ironman. Writer/Blogger. Cat Father. Soon to be Husband.

So Peter, you are a published author, blogger, speaker, agency owner, serial entrepreneur, marketer and media pundit – how do you find the time?!

I’m a big believer in not wasting time – so if I have ten minutes while waiting on line at the bank, I’ll write a quick post on my smartphone. I’ve done interviews from foreign cities, I’ll use my airplane time to write, blog, and work on my book – as I’m doing right now, on my way to Tokyo. If you love what you do, finding the time is easy. I’m also a huge fan of getting up super-early. It’s amazing how much you can get done at 4:15am when everyone else is still sleeping.

HARO (Help a Reporter Out) has been a massive and swift success, what was the inspiration for the service?

I’ve been helping people for as long as I can remember. I’m a natural connector – been doing it all my life. I have a knack for putting people together, be it for personal, professional, or other uses. So it made sense as I became friends with more and more reporters that they’d start asking me who I knew when they were doing a story. HARO was born as a way of making those connections easier.

Social media has changed the face of journalism, do you think citizen journalism has the potential to make journos a little lazy?

Actually I think journalists have to do 10x more now with 5x less resources, so any tool like HARO, all the way down to Craig’s List is a benefit for the journalist. I don’t look at it as making them lazy, but rather, helping them do their job under much more pressure.

It’s fair to say you know your social media marketing onions, but there are many people out there who claim to be an expert in the field, do you believe there are too many snake oil salesmen on the scene?

Unfortunately, yes. My litmus test is this: Can you tie what you’ve done for your clients to the revenue they’ve made? If you can’t make the connection between revenue and what you’re doing for the client, you’re not doing your job the right way. I wrote a blog post called “I’ll Never Hire a Social Media Expert and Neither Should You.” The amount of crap I got for it was legendary – Only surpassed by the amount of people who agreed with me. End of the day? Don’t be a “Social Media Expert.” Be a marketer.

Start up culture has never been more trendy, what would your top tip be for a youngster looking to carve their own entrepreneurial path?

Embrace your fear. Eat it and enjoy it. Thrive on it. Know that the only reason to do this stuff is because you truly love it and have fun with it every day. If you’re not having fun, it’s time to do something else.

Massive thanks to Peter for taking the time to answer my questions. Stay tuned for the next instalment of Thought Leader Thursday!