Highlights from Connecting with the Wired World workshop

Brian Moran, copywriter and marketing communications specialist, is an AIMS volunteer and blog correspondent. He sends in the following report after attending Shel Holtz’s Connecting with the Wired World workshop.

We like to think that as communicators, we shape, write and control our messages. If there’s one thing I learned at the Connecting with the Wired World conference that took place on Nov. 13-14 in Toronto, that thinking just doesn’t hold true any longer.

Led by Shel Holtz, online marketing communications guru, I learned that it’s not the communicators who control the message, it’s the AUDIENCE. It we want the voice of our companies, organizations or causes to be heard, we must PARTICIPATE in the conversation. As difficult as it may sound, we must relinquish control of the message in order to participate in the conversation. It’s through that conversation that we’re able to get our message across and our voice heard.

Communications has undergone a paradigm shift. We have entered the era of social computing where technology has placed power and influence in individuals and communities not companies or institutions.

Like me, you may be concerned that people could say negative things about your company or that you could lose control of your image, audience or brand. This may shock you however; control of these things has already been lost. By participating in the conversation you have the opportunity to get your message across and shape how people view your company.

In the past we transmitted our messages. We now engage and participate. Where we preached, we now advocate. Where we once commanded and controlled, we now influence and persuade. Most importantly, where we once told, we now build community.

Blogs, wikis, podacsts: The engines of change:

• Blogs: Enable you to create trust through ongoing conversations
• Wikis: Collaborative websites that demonstrate that the collective wisdom of crowds
• Podcasts: A powerful way to build community by sharing your thoughts (in your own voice) and listening to others
• Media sharing sites: Have you ever thought of uploading corporate photos to flickr http://www.flickr.com/ and tagging it with your company name?
• Social networks: Why not create an employee directory on My Space? www.myspace.com
• Tagging and edge content: Take a look at del.icio.us. It’s a powerful way to label and share content
• Citizen journalism and marketing
• Open-source marketing and co-creation: Enables your customers to create marketing and creative content

Shel told us a great story about Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman, who regularly contributes to GM’s FastLane blog. In addition to building community with die-hard car fans, Bob said that he got some of his best market intelligence by communicating with car enthusiasts who read his blog. In fact, he credits requests from his blog readers as one of the main reasons why he decided to bring back the Camaro!

Shel spent a considerable part of the workshop on blogging. He showed us how blogging can

• Reinforce brand loyalty by embracing your most loyal fans
• Deliver targeted messages
• Heighten awareness of your products, services and research
• Bolster your reputation
• Create community
• Educate to build brand affinity

We actually created our own podcast in less than 30 minutes! http://blog.holtz.com/files/seatmates.mp3

Finally, Shel delivered some tips on writing for social media. In nutshell, you should write like you speak. Use your own, authentic voice. There’s absolutely no better way to build trust.

Thanks for sending in this summary Brian. Many AIMS members had the chance to hear Shel speak at our 10th anniversary event in September. A summary of that event is on our website. (Note: access to event summaries requires Premium membership so you'll be prompted to login.)

Comments

[davidbaer]

If You Are Tired of Wasting All Your Money on Online Advertising for Your Websites… “Discover the Proven and Simple Methods Used By the Pros to Get 100% Free Online Advertising Traffic Your Website!” It does not matter if your looking for just a couple of hundred extra hits a month or to pump your website full of as much traffic as you possibly.

www.onlineuniversalwork.com