My topic was “Navigating Social Media” and as I frequently do, I use text polling to find out how the audience feels about the topic we’re to discuss. The first question was “How do you feel about social media?” I felt very prepared for a range of answers since I run a technology company and have worked in a very large IT department in a large corporation.

However, as the first text results came in, I was quickly reminded my how much I differ from Big IT. The first result used profanity which made several in the audience gasp. I responded with, “Ohh, did I not mention there’s no filter? If you want to be silly, go ahead!” As more results flowed in, several said “waste of time” and “huh”, but overall the popular response was networking. You can see the tag cloud of responses here.

I told the audience I agreed many times social media can be a waste of time, but there are some things to be learned from it for us as professionals and for our careers. At this point, I still didn’t have the audience. I could tell there was resistance to the topic, but I pressed on. I talked about the shift in the web from one-way to two-way conversations and what were the latest trends. I tried another text poll which brought on a few more less than desirable responses. I thought humor might win them over and offered a prize to one of the off-color remarks, but no one would claim it. At that point, I knew I had to change course.

While being as tactful as possible, I told these folks how the local twitter community “bashed” their company for communicating so poorly during the ice storm, how I use Twitter first for news and my local tv station second (at best) and how we’re never going back to the way the web was. I explained how several national brands are getting “murdered” online about their products, culture and customer experiences and some (like @mystarbucksidea, @Comcastcares and @Ford) are doing it right.

I can’t say that I won everyone over with the examples, but I did notice many sat up a little straighter and the overall room seemed to change. I re-focused on my original three points and decided to tell some personal stories about my social web mistakes and usage. If you’ve seen me present, I stuck with the same format of funny pictures, lots of screen shot examples and a lively pace. As I moved through the presentation, I realized these folks weren’t against the social web, but were more likely to be fearful or challenged by it’s growth and direction.

Even after some challenging crowd reactions, I still consider myself one of them. Sometimes Big IT is about control and my view of the social web doesn’t jive with that mindset. I also realize Big IT has to have more rules, structure and policies than my company to protect company’s assets, but I still think there’s some middle-ground for them to actually take advantage of these social tools. For now, I eagerly await the survey results and I’m hopeful some folks learned the social web is more than networking and a waste of time.

Guest speaker Todd Earwood, President, Member Minded, will deliver an interactive presentation on using technology to get optimal results. Using first hand knowledge, Todd will present insights on how technology can help manage information and save valuable time and money for your organization.

Now, that is the official stuff, but let me give you the Top Six Reasons You Should Attend.

1. I will NOT waste your time – My powerpoints do NOT suck. I spend an immense amount of time preparing and this specific one will likely be the most entertaining and interactive session you’ll attend this year. I know you’re thinking technology can’t be that fun, but I promise the time we spend covering it will be.
2. Get in FREE – If you work or sit on the board of for an association, please be my personal guest as I’ll gladly cover your admission. Contact me and I’ll make sure you get in free. My company, Member Minded specializes in helping membership based organizations, so I’d love to meet you and maybe you’ll see a glimpse of how we run our company. Your acceptance of the free admission does not obligate you to anything other than an outstanding event with a presentation I hope will entertain and educate. I promise this presentation is NOT a product demo or a sales meeting.
3. Valuable information – I own a business, I’ve worked in a large corporation and I have a passion for technology. My unique background helps ensure you walk away with something that makes your life easier (NOT harder) or better with technology. Hint: it’s not about gadgets and tech tricks.
4. Less REALLY is more - I don’t know many folks who have extra time on their hands, so rather than increase your workload, I want to show you proven ways to lessen the burden. You’ll be delightfully surprised on what tools (many are free) that you can start using the same day!
5. Class act event – GLI hosts some of the best business events I’ve ever attended. They’re always professional, extremely well ran and the networking alone is worth the admission.
6. Win FREE prizes – I’m giving away over $150 of prizes to those who attend. I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but the prizes help add something extra to a very interactive session.

I know I’m using some gutsy words like promise and best, but I really am that passionate about business and technology. It’s not because I’m great, it’s because I prepare and I care about your time. If you have any questions, please contact me. I’m happy to chat in advance or afterward.

Finally, great events aren’t possible without great sponsors. So, a big thanks to Presenting Sponsor – Republic Bank, Event Sponsor – PR Store, Breakfast Sponsor – CenterPlate and thanks to Heine Brothers’ Coffee for providing coffee for the 2009 SBBC Series. I hope to see you next week.

From L to R (Bill Dotson, myself, Shannon Myers)

I was happy to be asked to participate on Lexington Ad Club‘s panel last week. The topic was called: Reinventing the Advertising Model, How is the digital phenomenon changing traditional advertising?

The panel included representatives from virtually every major media outlet in Lexington (TV, print and radio) and I guess I was asked to fill the “web” part. The lively discussion was moderated by Bill Dotson, CEO of WebMedley (standing in white shirt) and the attendees were very participatory. A few questions were given to us in advance, but there were many live questions from the audience which made for a good learning experience for everyone, including the panel.

I must admit while my father works in Lexington, I really don’t know their business community that well, especially their local media. I was very impressed with the media representatives’ use of new media and where they thought the web was going. I’ll post a follow up with several specific notes I found interesting.

As promised, I’m posting all the referenced links and the entire presentation you can download here. If you weren’t there, this presentation focused on five main areas… How Social Media Began, Rules of the Road, Top Five Starter, Tools, Metrics for Clients and Personal Metrics (thanks to Scott Monty for the inspiration).

Don’t forget… let’s make our email world a better place! No more !!! ALL CAPS or High Importance. We’ll all be better off without these emotions in email communication.

Finally, here’s a list of Social Media Must Reads.
CommonCraft
Chris Brogan.com
SocialMediaExplorer.com
ScottMonty.com

As a quick background, I’ve done consulting for the Louisville Chamber since 2003 and intimately know their needs and industry. The Chamber for most areas is still the hub of the business community and hopefully these slides shown below offered some resources for the modern/future Chamber’s needs.

I’ll be sure to give a postmortem on the presentation and the questions that come out of this session.

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