Posts Tagged ‘linkedin’

The role of the Business Intelligence (BI) function within the organization has become critical to thriving in today’s evolving business environment.   The ultimate purpose of Business Intelligence is to provide management with analytical insights that can be used to improve business performance and competitive position. Analytics provided by the BI department while intended to focus the organization on their core operations and progress toward aligning to their strategic objectives, increasingly can be the impetus for transformational change.

A review of top companies in their industries clearly shows that they all mange their performance using some sort of BI techniques.   The standard tools of BI are based upon gathering actionable metrics that can be used to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their operations. This data is analyzed and compiled into reports including dashboards, scorecards, and predictive models. As an added service in  more evolved companies, the BI team generally provides consulting on metrics to propose ways to help make better decisions about operations and suggest improvement initiatives.

Often the development of these insights is closely guarded within the company to ensure at least a temporary advantage in the marketplace. The intent is that analytical capabilities will provide them the edge of a first mover as they develop new markets or approaches for their business.

The Problem

This advantage does not last for long in today’s connected world.

The basic analytical tools of BI however are well known in the public domain. Implementing basic BI has become not a luxury but a standard cost of doing business. Books such as Competing on Analytics give many examples of the types of analytics that can be collected and analyzed. There is also a tremendous amount of open information on BI and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) on the web. Companies can use this information to identify enhancements to their current analysis through their own review of wikis and blogs and even competitors websites.

The Dilemma

The dilemma of what to hold close and what to open up is increasingly becoming a key decision point in a BI project’s lifecycle. The discussions weigh the pros and cons of when it is best to foster creativity through opening up their research to collaboration and when Intellectual Property (IP) should be preserved.  Often the decisions are not clear cut and there may be lively discussions between the BI team and the executive team around what is the best approach for this situation. At the heart of these discussions is whether competitive advantage would be better served by keeping their intent secret, for the short term, or whether in the interest of speed and expertise it would be better to tap into the wiki community.

Wikis

The overall purpose of Wikis is to provide a place to share content, ideas, links, and collaborate on information, technical documentation, or the development of new ideas. The Wiki world in contrast to the traditional BI world thrives on openness and transparency. Some of the key advantages of the wiki approach are:

1. The potential to leverage the talents within the wider community;
2. A reduction in the time to innovation; and
3. The ability to incorporate social purposes that may go beyond the core competency of the company. An example is using external assistance in developing approaches to help the organization move into to being “green”.

Clearly there are compelling advantages to be gained by developing analytic dimensions with the help of the larger wiki community. Precedents for using this approach are also becoming more common. Some well-known examples of advances made by opening up IP include: the development of Linux; Netflix’s contest to develop an algorithm for customer preferences; and Google’s opening up application development for the Android. In each case the advantages of using the wiki world to enhance what may have been considered to be IP was outweighed by the benefits of collaboration.

Final Thoughts…

Secrecy in all areas of analytical review is no longer possible or even preferable in a world that is increasingly transparent with the pervasive use of social media by today’s employees who are mobile, connected, and less likely than previous generations to remain in one job for long periods. There are significant advantages to a business in tapping into the networked intelligence to speed up problem solving or make breakthroughs. These benefits may in some cases outweigh the potential risk of the competition using the same information or approach. The final decision however cannot be rote but must rest with the complexity of the use and the expertise of internal resources to meet that need.

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Tagged as: active garage, business intelligence, cloud computing, Company secrets, data center trust, facebook, Intellectual Property, IP, linda williams, linkedin, Proprietary Information, servers, Sharing info, Social Media, Twitter, Wikis

Defining your role and your mission

What is your place in society? At one time, and still in many countries, this was a not a question which you were permitted to answer or control. Rather, it was a matter of birth, circumstance, good or bad fortune, and your place in society was largely determined by people and circumstances beyond your control.

Throughout history in various times and places, individuals and groups of people have raised this question, and asserted their right of self-determination, the right to determine their own role and mission in society.

Now due to the momentum of such movements in the past, and the amazing impact of technology to connect people and facilitate communication, these questions are being raised widely around the world, not just in the traditional style of political movements, but in a brand new style of personal movements.

“No man is an island.” So said English poet John Donne in 1624, and the connectivity of life today is increasingly obvious, in the environment, on social networks through the Internet, and in the mood of the times. We are all connected, for better and for worse, and one of the fabrics of our connection is Society, the fifth of the eight frames of life on the Mandala Chart.

A new kind of nation

While nations continue of course, with governments and economies performing a mix of useful and some useless functions, there has emerged in the last decade a new kind of nation, formed of social networks residing virtually on the Internet, but with feet firmly on the ground in the real world.

The movie Social Network, featuring the meteoric rise of the world’s largest and fastest growing social network Facebook, in which one in 12 people on the planet is now a member, is a story of how one such nation was formed in just a few short years.

The beauty of Facebook, and of Social Media in general, is that it is a classless and virtually free territory. Virtual real estate is much easier to come by, more accessible to visit, and easier to connect and cultivate than its counterpart in the real world. On my Creative Career Path Column I wrote about the Facebook phenomenon in an article called What’s in a Facebook Fan Page?

But how do you communicate your role and your mission, or even make your voice heard at all, in a online nation that if it were a country, would be the third largest population in the world, behind only China and India?

The territory in Social Media is dominated not by force or even by size, but by establishing a presence, having a clear message, and delivering value. It is an ongoing process of continual improvement in your ability to create content, and make it accessible to a widening circle of people who like what you offer, and are happy to tell their friends about it.

How do you engage people on Social Media?

It is now possible, and much easier than ever before to establish a presence and a personal identity using Social Media. There is plenty of good and generous advice searchable on the Internet about personal branding through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Linkedin, and many other popular social networks. Much of this advice centers on joining the conversation. An important, but often overlooked ingredient is having something worth saying.

The challenge is not so much how to get online but rather why, knowing your role, mission, and purpose in engaging in Social Media. Above all, you need a platform, a website or blog on which you can take a stand and express your ideas. As shown in the figure, the platform is the hub for engagement with both social and traditional media, and can give you great leverage in your engagement with society.

Many people struggle with creating a short self-introduction, a 30-second message that engages people’s interest, and makes them want to hear more about you. With a little help from a good designer who understands social media, you can make this much easier with a high-quality graphic in the form of a logo, or online business card which introduces you in just 3 seconds!

This is more than a conversation starter, because it leaves a lasting impression, and it stays online, delivering your message to an ever widening circle of people who get and are interested in your message. Unless you are a brilliant graphic designer with social media savvy right out of the box, you are better off getting help from someone who already is. My website and Facebook Fan Page were both created by the Bigfish Webchicks in New Zealand. They can get you there further and faster. The before/after picture speaks volumes.

Social Media Mandala

The key ingredients in social media are content, communication, and creating a channel. People like having a range of options for content delivery, depending on their communication style and lifestyle preferences. Social Media is set up to accommodate as many types of styles and delivery options as possible.

Even with the best media platform available, ultimately it is up to you to create the content and continually refine and engage people with your message. Using Facebook as an example, by creating a Fan Page you can easily deliver your content in the form of a blog, photos, videos, lists, discussion forum, event pages, a bio, and links to anything or anyone you like. Download a Social Media Mandala to help you think about what you might want to include or improve.

Of course there are many ways to engage in society without ever going online, an option which has only become available in recent years. However, increasingly it is an option that you cannot afford to ignore. You can engage well in both worlds on and offline, and skillfully integrate the two. You may choose what you want to filter for privacy or for focus, but in the interests of integrity, be yourself in both worlds.

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Tagged as: Branding, Communication, facebook, Flexible Focus, linkedin, mandala charts, manga, marketing, Social Media, social presence, Twitter, william reed

In today’s world, we are no more rooted to our computer for staying connected. This is largely because of the advent of smart phone and mobile apps. If you have an iPhone and a friend of yours complains about your delay in responding to his/her email…you better NOT say, “I was away from my computer”. Since you are on your iPhone, the other person is 100% positive that you have received the email and read it too…whether you replied to it OR not is a different story. Similarly, if you are a smart phone user and you say to someone “I don’t have time to Tweet or FB”; most likely they are wondering if you are using any smarts of the smart phone!

The point is that a cell phone is now more than an instrument to make or receive calls. It is now your desktop on the GO and has enabled social media on the GO.

My Favorite Mobile Apps

• Facebook for iPhone: Talking about FB, the coolest mobile app for iPhone is Facebook for iPhone. It is convenient to use, read live feeds of your friends, upload pictures taken from your iPhone to FB, review notifications, chat with online friends, update status et al.
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn mobile app is like a rolodex online. If your connections change jobs and businesses and update their profiles – you are still in touch without having to be in touch. I like the fact that I can see updates, invite people to connect, Accept invitations simply on my iPhone
• Echofon: I love tweeting and so any app that allows me to see tweets real time, see mentions, retweet and send direct response to people is valuable for me on the go. This app is great as I get to tweet from anywhere and share thoughts from the touch on the iPhone.
• Foursquare: I love the fact that I can checkin real time into places. And choose if I wish to share my location with my Facebook and Twitter friends. Also, the badges that I have unlocked (Jetsetter, Adventurer  etc) are a great motivator. Primarily I use it to locate places near by, get tips about a restaurant from people who have shared their views and see where my friends are at.
• WhatsApp: If you have blackberry friends, then you have heard about the pleasure of BB messenger BUT now with WhatsApp you are able of message friends on Blackberry (if you are an iPhone user). I like to send pics as attachments, see who is available and also chat with friends all over the world on my iPhone….
• Dropbox: I simply love this application. It is virtual file sharing and syncing – in a secure environment, right at your fingertips… and your fingertips don’t have to be around a keyboard or a laptop! It enables me to receive a contract from a client half way across the world, while I am riding in a train, I can read it on my smart phone and send my approval! Productivity Galore! On top of that, the first 2GB (yes, I said, GB!) of space is FREE, and you get an additional 250MB when you sign up referrals (each referral gets you an additional 250MB of space – up until 8GB! Surely, not a place to add your high-def videos but definitely good for coordinating and sharing work related stuff!

So, if you are on an airport and find yourself in the middle of nowhere, try to connect to wireless network of the airport. Voila! the world will be at your disposal…to chat, communicate and collaborate. So, next time you get a response to your email when your friend is traveling or you chat with your friends in different continents or you post a pic on FB…remember it has nothing to do with being on the computer…and everything to do with your smart phone – so think twice when you say – “I’ve been out of touch since I am not a person who likes to sit on my computer”. As long as you sit, walk or stand and have a smart phone, you have powerful tools to stay connected, thanks to Social Media, on the GO…. !

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Tagged as: 99tribes, active garage, blackberry, deepika bajaj, dropbox, echofon, facebook, foursquare, invincibelle, iphone, linkedin, smart phones, Social Media, social media and tribes, tribes, whatsapp

There has been a lot of speculation about the what will be the impact of social media when Gen Y grows up into more mature digital natives. This generation already proved those wrong who thought they will grow up to be TV watching couch potatoes. This generation has the unparalleled skill to use their fingers on their smartphones and use social media to stay connected and consume entertainment. While generations older than them still watch TV on a flat HD screen in a living room, there is a revolution happening where your TV, computer and smartphone connected through internet are all equipped to provide entertainment on the GO – taking living room to the airport lounges, malls, libraries and even schools and other cool cafes.

Sure, Gen Y watches over 3 hours of TV a day, but it’s not a couch potato experience. I would argue that they’ve turned TV viewing itself into social media.

If you see them watching TV, do not assume that that is ALL they are doing. Check how they are texting, commenting and tweeting. They don’t just watch a movie, they are sharing, collaborating, distributing and connecting. This thumb-savvy generation has no issues with the overload of new technologies –  they are excited about to learn about the launch of innovative technologies – eg. Google TV, ustream.tv.

The traditional TV watching is going to need a face lift when this Generation grows up. Brands have rested for 50 years reaching their consumers through mass media. They are not up for a challenge to make contact with their future consumers. Advertising on TV to a Yelp reading, Foursquare Tip taking and Quora questioning and answering community is not as simple as placing a 30 sec ad on the prime time network during Superbowl.

Another cool example is the President’s State of the Union address that happened today. Sitting from my office, I was able to watch the address simply by logging on to yahoo through an ABC.com feed. The fact that there were real time tweets and a real time blog with a commentary ongoing made the whole experience so much more richer! Admittedly, I (during some parts) enjoyed watching the blog more than I enjoyed watching the speech!

TV watching is still there and psychology behind watching the TV is the same. BUT I get excited about the world where sharing screens will be on a touch of a button, finding movies on my smart phone that my friends are watching, avoid sitting in living rooms….and I am not even a Gen Y.  As a Gen Xer, I hope to just keep up with them. As I find TV watching an isolating experience and the new approach to being entertained resonates with me.

Afterall, ” Man is a social animal”. Soon, “Man will be a social media animal”!

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Tagged as: 99tribes, 99tribes.com, active garage, deepika bajaj, facebook, Gen Y, HD, invincibelle, iphone, ipod, linkedin, Social Media, social media and tribes, State of the Union, tribes, Twitter, youtube

By the end of 2010, many of us have incorporated social media into our marketing campaigns. It is a no brainer to have a FaceBook Fan page or Twitter account for getting traffic to your website. Some have gone beyond and created their own blogs and even their own communities to get the word out to their tribe. Now the “BUT” part….in doing so, we have forgotten why this all started in the first place.

The concept of social media became part of our lives because there was a need for an “Online Conversation” – to talk, listen and engage with your influencers. Many companies have demonstrated their skills in promoting deals, managing customer grievances and even hiring using social media. Bravo! for the increased “customer satisfaction” and “personalization” of their customer interactions.

But looking into the future, I have a question that pops up in my head. “SO WHAT? WHAT NEXT?”

I guess I was impressed but after certain goals have been met and since it is all “the new normal”, I am  asking the question – “When are we doing to think outside of FaceBook?” OR “Is the number of your Twitter followers any measure of your influence?”.

Why I ask these questions is because we are now using social media mindlessly, sometimes, even without any specific objective behind it. The best analogy that I can think of is “It is like having your morning cup of coffee, whether it helps us wake up or not, we need it since we do it everyday”.

Here is what you need to look into as you plan for your engagement…

1. Is Facebooking work? Recently I was pointed to an article Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction, where the author states “ I know I can read a book, but then I’m up and checking Facebook,” he says, adding: “Facebook is amazing because it feels like you’re doing something and you’re not doing anything. It’s the absence of doing something, but you feel gratified anyway.– “. If you are Facebooking – loading  or seeing pics, commenting on friends status while in the middle of a meeting or a paper you are writing – is that really work?
2. Are you trusted? There is a growing mistrust with the rise of concerns regarding privacy on these channels and it is getting harder to engage your friends to “Like” or “Comment” or “Tweet” to garner support for your social campaigns. The only true measure of success in this scenario is “Trust”.
3. Are you innovating your marketing? Winners are going to be the ones who are experimenting, failing and trying new approaches — again and again. New sites like Quora, Shoutlet and Foursquare will need to be considered when planning your marketing mix based on your marketing objectives.

So, if you thought that you have mastered Facebook and Twitter and are set for your social media marketing…Think Again. You have just scratched the surface…new challenges and new opportunities are in the horizon. The bars are being raised and the learning curve is steep….What matters is Are You Fatigued or Are you Adapting? Are you a Dinosaur or… are you still in the GAME?

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Tagged as: active garage, deepika bajaj, facebook, foursquare, Innovation, invincibelle, linkedin, marketing, pin and grow rich, quora, shoutlet, Social Media, social media and tribes, Twitter

Interesting to be in India when they are venturing into how to use social media for tribes that have similar interests. As the social media momentum takes off, it is clear that tribes will mature in the coming year. Specifically, professional tribes in India. Since the entire nation is upbeat with the economic growth – it allows for professionals to feel they are treasured and wanted. What better feeling for a graduate coming out of school or for a professional looking for another interesting challenge!

I was in Mumbai last week for some business meetings and it was interesting to note that India talks on SMS/text messaging more than on email. Unfortunately, I have a handset where it was challenging to text but I had no other alternative. Even people at Executive levels pass on their mobile numbers and will text you if they need to connect with you. Quite an interesting shift for me.

Here is professional tribe in India that is a LinkedIn local maker : Brijj

Some interesting observations:

1. No job search: Though this is a professional network, it does not have its own job search function, it partnered with Naukri.com for that functionality. Therefore, it is a professional network minus its own job search as seen in LinkedIn.
2. Import contacts from LinkedIn: You can invite your contacts from LinkedIn to connect with you on Brijj. I am wondering when LinkedIn will allow local professional sites to import contacts to it. 
3. Featured Experts: They have a section where they have “Featured Experts”. I found this quite interesting as I was not able to determine the criteria of how a Featured Expert is chosen. I looked for their contributions as in articles etc. but could not locate any. I do believe people get a lot of clicks on their profiles so makes sense for someone who wants to establish a Thought Leader persona.

… and of course they want you to KEEP BRIJJING...which is I guess like keep Googling…Interesting to find how local versions are existing inspite of the success of mega networks like LinkedIn.

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Tagged as: active garage, Brijj, Brijj.com, connecting people, deepika bajaj, India and social media, invincibelle, linkedin, naukri.com, Social Media, social media and tribes, social media in India, tribes

We’re all bombarded with thousands of messages each day – personally and professionally. Maybe it’s because of new media like Twitter, LinkedIn or FaceBook. Maybe it’s the internet in general.  Whatever the cause, the effect is the same. The volume of marketing messages is overwhelming to most Americans. In fact, 60 percent have signed up for the do-not-call registry; 33 percent have installed Web pop-up blockers, and nine percent have signed on to a do-not-e-mail list (and 40 percent may want to). So the question is: “How do you break through in this environment?”  One answer: Branding.

Everyone has a different definition of branding – everything from your logo, your message, to your visions and personality.  Each of these is correct in a way.  My definition (just so we’re clear) is that a brand is a promise; a promise of authenticity and value and sets our expectations about the product or service we associate with the brand.

That’s all well and good, but here’s the real question:  What’s the point of having a catchy slogan if it doesn’t strengthen or support your business? Why invest in PR if it doesn’t translate into increased awareness and recognition? Why go to trade shows if they don’t produce high-quality leads? Branding, or a promise to your customers, is a way to differentiate yourself in a crowded market so your company can sell more stuff.  Short and simple.

Independently, without a coherent brand strategy, these tactics do little to attract customers and drive revenue. However, as part of an integrated brand and marketing strategy, these and other tactics are the foundation that will deliver results for your business. Sounds simple, right? Well, often the simplest things are the hardest to do.

Here are three things you can do today to make sure your brand is doing it’s job – helping your company sell more stuff.

1. Look at your website: Is your brand consistently applied on your website?  Do you use the same logo, or do you have multiple logos scattered about the place?  What about your messaging, are you delivering similar yet different messages and confusing your customers?
2. Ask 10 people what they think: You want to know what they think your brand stands for.  Hopefully you get similar responses, and hopefully they are right on target.  If not, well, you have more work to do.
3. Step out of the box: Life doesn’t happen in a vacuum.  Step outside your company and look at what’s going on around you.  Is your brand relevant in today’s market?  Are you linking with current events and trends?

Marketing should get people’s attention, and convince them to consider your company’s products or services over the competition. An integrated brand including strategy, messages, visual identity, and other marketing tactics extends the impact of your marketing investments. You can more efficiently and effectively improve awareness, produce leads and ultimately drive revenue. After all, isn’t that the point?

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Tagged as: 42 Rules, active garage, authentic, brand strategy, Branding, brands, commitment, expectations, facebook, laura lowell, linkedin, product, promise, service, Strategy, tactics, Twitter

The social media call today is to get online and participate. Over the last year a day hasn’t gone by without someone mentioning a new contact through a social network site or some new statistic about the presence and reach of social media networks, but more often of late we are hearing more news of misfortune surrounding social media.

This is not unexpected as this is a common characteristic of social groups. It has gone on for centuries and is to some degree the cause of wars and organized crime – where there’s a large group that appears to have something relative to another it produces an opportunity to exploit. In social media this has manifested itself in Identity Theft and Brand Damage (topic of next post)

Identity theft seems to be rampant today and rather intimidating. An article in the Daily Mail quotes a large UK insurance company Legal & General as warning that insurance premiums may rise if household members utilize social media sites.

This is on the back of the claim that criminals are preying within these network sites for opportunities such as burglaries, personal account details and identity theft. What appears to be an innocent use of your ability to broadcast everything from your thoughts through twitter, photos on Flickr and everything about yourself on facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn or such sites, can potentially provide key information to criminals to utilize against you.

What this means is that we have to be conscious about how we configure our accounts on these sites and responsible with what information is shared through which channels.

Here is some edited advice published by Robert Siciliano on bloggernews

Remember that it is not only criminals that are potentially scouting you out! Today it does not take a lot of effort to perform searches on individuals. Posting something that may be illegal or unsavory can just as easily be picked up by a prospective future employer, client or worse used against you in court!

Social media is built on trusting relationships. It is this trust that is manipulated to exploit your situation and information. As aptly demonstrated in Himanshu Jhamb’s article Social Media: A Dangerous Opportunity, this does not need to be intimidating and there are many things we can do to protect ourselves. We just need to be aware how these tools can be utilized and act responsibly to protect ourselves from criminals or others carrying hidden agendas.

Don’t be intimidated, enjoy your social media experience!

Tagged as: active garage, Branding, data security, facebook, flickr, http://activegarage.com, Identity, identity theft, linkedin, Personal Identity, security, Social Media, technology, Twitter

Nowadays, the web is full of success stories on Social Media. Indeed, the arrival (and the acceptance) of Social Media has opened the gates to many opportunities: enabling individuals and communities to brand themselves being perhaps one of the biggest. However, as is the case with every opportunity, it has the potential downside, too. The downside, if not paid attention to, can turn this opportunity on its head into a “dangerous” one.

Here are two fundamental questions that you must strive to answer, before you can turn any new tool into an opportunity for yourself.

1. What is my purpose of using it?
2. How do I use it effectively to get the outcome that I am after?

Take, for example, using a knife for the first time. You need to have a concern of cutting/chopping something before even thinking about using it. Without that, you are simply wasting your time (might I add, dangerously) if you’re running around with it. Then, you need to learn how to use it effectively – if you don’t, it is equally dangerous as you might end up slicing and dicing your fingers (didn’t mean to go to this extreme… but, you get the point!) instead of what you intended to use it for.

Social Media can be like a knife. You need to know what is your purpose behind using it first because, if you do not have a clear purpose, then you’ll end up squandering away the other opportunities in your life that you could have availed in the time you’re spending dabbling with Social Media.

You also need to learn to use it effectively… without that, you are playing with a dangerous tool.

I recently read a great CNN post on How Social Media can hurt your career… and though I loved the examples the author shared in there (some of them were downright scary), I felt the title of the post would’ve better served the content had it been “How you can hurt your career through Social Media” instead of “How Social Media can hurt your career“. You see, there is a subtle difference if I say it like that because the conversation you have with yourself on Social Media after reading the former title is on the lines of “Oh! I better learn how to use this properly” instead of “Oh! Social Media is too dangerous… I better stop using it”, which is what comes forth after reading the latter. Yes, there is a very subtle difference between the two but clearly, the former opens the possibilities of “getting better” at it and the latter closes the possibilities by instilling an unfounded fear in the reader.

Getting good at leveraging the opportunity that Social Media is, is a skill that beckons to be learnt and exploited to the maximum potential. For this is how your level of engagement will start reaping you the maximum returns… and you can be assured that you are playing on the “Safe” side of this dangerous opportunity!

Tagged as: cnn, cnn.com, dangerous opportunity, engagement, facebook, flickr, linkedin, opportunity, Social Media, Twitter, youtube

Everyone does not view social media with the same lens. Different people have different stands about social media. For some people it’s a nuisance and for others it’s their life.

I have grouped the kinds of relationships people have to social media in seven categories. You may be able to identify yourself in one of them or somewhere in between. You will notice that the investment you make and the returns you get are directly influenced by the approach you take.

As you can see, only in the last two kinds of relationships can you expect reasonable ROI from social media.

So, here are the seven kinds of relationship in detail:

1. Despise

You hate social media and social networking. You might even think it’s a nuisance. You think it’s artificial and you just keep thinking about the old days when people could really meet and talk. This new kind of building relationships seems so fake to you. Some of you may think that this is a fad that’s going to go away sooner than later. So why bother?

None of you in belonging to this category have any plans for participating in the social media. Some of you may question the intelligence of others who are participating in social media. Obviously, you can’t expect to see any returns from social media with this attitude.

2. Distant

You don’t hate social media but you don’t love it either. You are standing at a distance and watching all the action. You are sometimes amused, sometimes surprised and sometimes shocked with what’s happening there. When you read a success story you are encouraged to begin your journey but you stop yourself saying that you may not be ready to make that BIG commitment of time, energy and mindshare into this without being fully clear about the return on that investment.

Some of you in this category may be afraid that you might abandon the ship prematurely if you are not fully equipped before you start. Whatever be the reason to keep the distance, you can’t expect any returns from social media with this stand.

3. Dream

You are more open to participating in social media but the right time has not come in yet. You know what you will do when you finally start engaging in social media. In your mind, you have a grand plan but the time to execute has not come yet. Even here, your ROI from social media is not much for you as the marketplace rarely places a premium on people’s dreams. Dreams are important but action is even more important.

4. Deal

You are someone that had no choice but to jump into social media. Someone posted about you or your company on a blog. Someone tweeted about you or your company on Twitter. You are now forced to respond, especially if you feel the article or tweet was not backed with facts. You jump into the social media to set the record straight. This is a reactive approach rather than a proactive approach. However, you can still benefit from dealing with the situation on social media. People appreciate that there is human touch from the company. You might decide to engage proactively from now on or you might again go back to the sidelines and come back whenever there is a need.

5.  Dabble

You are definitely on the social media side of the fence. You are experimenting on various tools, techniques and tactics albeit without a clear strategy. You act as if the latest tools that surfaced were the missing piece in the puzzle. You embrace new tools with vigor but you don’t follow through with the same vigor as new tools in the marketplace continue to distract you.

While you may not get a long-term return using this approach you do see some benefit as you start making and building relationships on the web.

6. Dedicated

You are committed to participate and engage in social media. You are active on various networks, ask and answer questions and do everything to engage with community. People know you as not only competent in your domain but also as a “nice and helpful” person and probably will reciprocate back when you are in need. You are on the path to building long term relationships that matter.

This is where you start seeing serious returns from social media.

7. Dance

This is social media mastery at display. You know what it takes to “dance” in the social media. You not only help – you ensure that your help is “valuable.” You not only give away stuff but you ensure that what you are giving away is “SIGNFICANT.” Whether it is an article, eBook or a tweet, when you talk people listen and they are thankful that you are there in social media and you are accessible. You change lives via social media and make things happen.

Your returns from social media skyrocket with this stand.

If you are not engaged in social media, I urge you to start engaging with the view to “dance” someday. That’s where all the magic is.

Tagged as: active garage, engage, facebook, flickr, linkedin, Rajesh Setty, relationships, Return on Investment, ROI, significant help, Social Media, Twitter, youtube