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Organizational Communication 2.0:The Age of Social Communication

Neville Hobson, ABCShel Holtz, ABCAllan Jenkins

IABC International ConferenceVancouver

June 4, 2006

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Today’s Agenda

The Social Media Ecosystem

Is It Really a Seismic Shift?

Challenges and Opportunities for Communicators

Conclusions and Wrap Up

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The Old World

Investors

Customers

Prospects

Press/AnalystsPartners

Employees

Potential Employees

Influencers

MESSAGESMESSAGES

Competitors

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The New World

Investors

Customers

Prospects

Press/AnalystsPartners

Employees

Potential Employees

Influencers

MESSAGESMESSAGES

Competitors

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The New World

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Disruptive Evolution

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Web 2.0

http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

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■ I want to have a say. ■ I don't want to do business

with idiots. ■ I want to know when

something is wrong, and what you're going to do to fix it.

■ I want to help shape things that I'll find useful.

■ I want to connect with others who are working on similar problems.

■ I don't want to be called by another salesperson. Ever. (Unless they have something useful. Then I want it yesterday.)

■ I want to buy things on my schedule, not yours. I don't care if it's the end of your quarter.

■ I want to know your selling process.

■ I want to tell you when you're screwing up. Conversely, I'm happy to tell you the things that you are doing well. I may even tell you what your competitors are doing.

■ I want to do business with companies that act in a transparent and ethical manner.

■ I want to know what's next. We're in partnership…where should we go?

Christopher Carfi: www.socialcustomer.com

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The Thin Membrane

■ Employees are consumers■ Employees are influenced and have influence■ Employees want to have a say■ Employees don’t want to work for or with idiots■ The fine line between internal and external communication

is blurred

Let’s also think of “The Social Employee Manifesto”

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The Social Media Ecosystem

■ The new water cooler■ “Social software”■ Informal networks■ Conversational media■ Online diaries■ Personal expression

engines■ When you want,

where you want,on your terms

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The Social Media Ecosystem

■ Blogs■ Wikis■ RSS■ Podcasts■ Videocasts / Vlogs■ Moblogs■ MMS■ Internet telephony

Tools that facilitate:■ Communication■ Engagement■ Transparency■ Trust

Tool that are:■ Complementary to traditional

communication activities■ Used by organizations who

recognize the social characteristics of effective communication

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The Rise of Social Media

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Building Community

■ Community: A group of people (online and/or face-to-face) who regularly interact around a shared purpose or interest and form relationships over time

■ Or more informally, a gathering of people with a shared interest or purpose who communicate, connect, and get to know each other better over time

(Nancy White: Full Circle Online Interaction Blog)

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Example: The Hobson & Holtz Report

■ Started January 2005■ First podcast in the

communication profession■ Co-hosts: Neville Hobson

(Amsterdam) and Shel Holtz (California)

■ 70-90 mins, twice weekly, Monday and Thursday, recorded via Skype

■ Global audience■ Building community

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It’s About Community

■ Involve listeners■ Listen to them■ Encourage

listeners■ Address their

needs■ Engage

Global distribution: FIR listeners 29/5/06http://www.frappr.com/fir

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It’s About Trust

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Communication Choices

Engage and Participate vs. Transmit

Advocate vs. Preach

Influence and Persuade vs. Command and Control

Informal and Conversational

vs. Formal and Instructive

Build Community vs. Tell Your Audience

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A Summary of Tomorrow

http://robinsloan.com/epic/

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Conversation…

■ Neville Hobson, ABCAmsterdam, Netherlandswww.nevillehobson.com

■ Shel Holtz, ABCConcord, CA, USAblog.holtz.com

■ Allan JenkinsCopenhagen, Denmarkwww.desirableroastedcoffee.com

Copyright in this document is protected under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license. No commercial use, no changes. But feel free to share it, post it, print it, or copy it. Details: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/.Original cartoon by Hugh MacLeod, Gaping Void (gapingvoid.com). Used with permission.