tales from the brant cave (volume one in the brant cave series)
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Tales from The Brant Cave
Second Edition
byRobert Lavigne,
Your Social Business Mentor
Volume One in The Brant Cave Series
Dedicated to Karen, Therese and Marcel
Table of Contents
IntroductionRobert Lavigne, Your Social Business Mentor
Chapter OneHow do you define Value in the Age of Freemium and Prosumerism?
Chapter TwoEnrich your Insights. Expand your Influence. Enhance your Exposure.
Chapter ThreeDo you feel like you are the Rodney Dangerfield of Social Media?
Chapter FourThe Age of the Yes Men is Dead. Stop Enabling. Start Engaging. The Emperor is in Need of a New Tailor.
Chapter FiveRoses are Red. Violets are Blue. It's about your Shareholders. It's not about You.
Table of Contents
Chapter SixRecycled Ideas. What is Old is New. What is New is Old. The Pendulum of Commerce Often Requires a Nudge of Innovation.
Chapter SevenYour Key Inbound Marketing Strategy is Re-Purposed In-Flow Content. Having a Strong Engaged Tribe Doesn't Hurt Either.
Chapter EightA New Economy for a Brave New World. A World based on Prosperity and Commerce on a Global Plane.
Chapter NineWhat is your Password? Social Infringement on your Privacy is the latest HR Scam perpetuated by Traditional Businesses.
Table of Contents
Chapter TenWhat does The Six Million Dollar Man and Knight Rider have to do with Social Business?
Chapter ElevenTo Blog or Not To Blog? It is not a Question, but an Answer to your Fundamental Identity as a Human Being.
Chapter TwelveLand the Sale! Why a "Content Spiral Engagement Strategy" will convert your Sales Funnel into a Sales Tornado.
Chapter ThirteenThe Doubting Thomas. How an Agilistic Operational Model can Convert the Unbelievers into Disciples and Saints.
Table of Contents
Chapter FourteenTitanic Social Business Lessons. What has 100 years taught us about Silos, Class Hierarchy, and Icebergs.
Chapter FifteenDon't let that Needle Burst your Bubble. How to Ensure that your Tagged Drunken Picture becomes a Needle in a Haystack.
Social Media 101A Social Business Hangout with Therese and Marcel Lavigne.
We Love BrantfordA Social Business Hangout with Jeff and Jaime Thibodeau.
Downtown BrantfordA Social Business Hangout with John Bradford.
Are you struggling to formulate your Social
Media Strategy?
Do you wish to understand how to
become a Social Business?
Would a personal one-on-one mentoring session
Help You Succeed?
Contact @RLavigne42.com
Robert Lavigne, Your Social Business Mentor, is available for online mentoring sessions u s i n g S k y p e , G o o g l e Hangout, and even your Phone.
I n p e r s o n , L i f e @ 4 2 Workshops featuring Robert L a v i g n e , c a n a l s o b e scheduled for any group size and topics.
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ChapterOne
How do you define Value in the Age of Freemium and
Prosumerism?
What is value?How is it defined?
Is value something that is earned or established?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter One
In the Age of Freemium Economics and Producer/Consumer Markets, the definition of value is often variant based on our own immersion and exposure to the Digital and Social Era.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter One
If we are flooded by freemium alternatives, the value we place on sparse physical goods is often devalued by the infinite supply of digital goods.
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Chapter One
Similarly, if we are both producing and consuming as Prosumers, we often degrade our level of dependence and acknowledgement of the once high valued Professional.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter One
In the Age of Freemium and Prosumerism, the concept of value is in a state of flux ravaged by the concurrent state of collapse felt across all aspects of economical, social, and political eco-systems.
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ChapterTwo
Enrich your Insights. Expand your Influence. Enhance your
Exposure.
What is the point of Social Networking?
Why would you want to surround yourself with
Weak Ties?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Two
Much has been said about the value of a Facebook Friend, a Twitter Follower, a LinkedIn Connection, an Empire Avenue Shareholder, or a Google+ Engager. You caught that right? I used the word Engager to describe those I socially network with on Google+.
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Chapter Two
That was not always the case and I want to share with you a brief story to explain why.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Two
I was one of the very few people to receive an invitation on Google+. There were between 2,000 and 5,000 people on the network when I joined. But then something happened, the members grew larger, grew wider, and grew more diverse everyday. No longer was Google+ just a place for the "Google Fan Boys", "Tech Geeks", and "Early Adopters".
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Chapter Two
Many came, many left, and many became dormant during that growth. As a result of my early forage into Google+, I quickly hit the 5,000 maximum number of people I could have in my combined Circles. I would struggle weekly to remove a few dead accounts to make way for new live accounts.
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Chapter Two
And then something happened that would forever change how I viewed my 5,000 limit.
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Chapter Two
Someone curated a group of Empire Avenue members on Google+ and proceeded to share that Circle so that others could benefit from it. I attempted to add that much valued Circle and was halted yet again with the Google+ 5,000 Limit.
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Chapter Two
Now for those unaware about Empire Avenue, let me tell you this in no uncertain terms. Empire Avenue is the most engaging Social Network I have come across. The gaming dynamics reward engagement and has been the source of the majority of my Likes, ReTweet, Shares, Comment s and mos t impor tan t l y new connections.
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Chapter Two
So on that day I weighed my options. What was more important, 5,000 Strangers or 500 Engagers?
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Two
The answer was clear, for my Google+ Network to have meaning for me, it required an infusion of engagement. So I purged my Following Circle and only kept those in my Recent Interactions, Collaborators, Acquaintances and Friends Circles. I then proudly added this new shared Empire Avenue Circle to my fold.
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Chapter Two
For a Social Network to have value, it needs to have a high engagement factor. To achieve this, you need to constantly widen your horizons and bring in new voices, opinions and insights. You need to constantly identify the Engagers and purge the Strangers. For only by engaging will you ever be able to collaborate, and collaboration is the ultimate goal of Social Networking.
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ChapterThree
Do you feel like you are the Rodney Dangerfield of Social
Media?
Do you get no respect?Does your hard work go
unnoticed?Do you fail to get your just
desserts?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Three
All the world is a stage and we are merely players. Whether this makes you think of Rush or William Shakespeare, the end goal remains the same. Both became masters of their art through diligent hard work, constant experimentation, and an undying passion for what they held true.
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Chapter Three
We all start as infants and traverse clumsily through childhood. Demanding respect during these years is often responded to with contempt and ridicule. Social Media is still young and many are wielding it like a toy expecting immediate parental attention.
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Chapter Three
Those who carry forward have love for what they do and soldier on past disillusionment and repeated failures. During these stages, they acquire a personal brand solidifying their true persona and actual accomplishments. Social Media cannot be viewed as a lone animal amongst the fold.
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Chapter Three
For respect comes with the justice of wisdom. Steadfast experience in ones field accomplishes much power and position. The world is made up of firm institutions and constructs powered by those clinging to their last vestige of isolation. Social Media must flow through the cracks of these factory silos.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Three
For with every age of man, the cycle must either come to an end or be reborn anew. Those who fail to adapt and learn will quickly lose the respect earned after their initial 10,000 hours. Social Media is in an ongoing state of evolution requiring adaptable spirits leading the charge.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Three
The world is your stage. While the script may not be under your control, how you act and portray your role is entirely under your direction. Social Media has opened up the world to your business. How will you choose to showcase your talent and passion? How will you choose to leverage your respect and position of influence?
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ChapterFour
The Age of the Yes Men is Dead. Stop Enabling. Start Engaging. The Emperor is in Need of a
New Tailor.
Do you surround yourself with Yes Men?
Do you forsake those who would actually Engage?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Four
Many once respected brands have fallen into disrepute due to hubris. Many once innovative organizations have fallen into mediocrity due to echo chambers. Many once valued idols have fallen into the afterlife due to enablers.
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Chapter Four
What did they all have in common? What was the cause of their downfall? What went so terribly wrong? They all surrounded themselves with "Yes Men" at the expense of those willing to express the truth. When you surround yourself with enablers, you give up the single source of sustainment - FEEDBACK.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Four
What is that magical element that will keep you young, volatile, charismatic, and influential? What is that success formula that will bring you prosperity, growth, innovation and market share? The answer is clear to anyone willing to listen to a child pointing out the obvious - FEEDBACK.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Four
Much like the child proclaiming that the Emperor was in need of a new tailor, those who fail to listen are doomed to walk the streets exposed and unaware. Engagement outside of one’s comfort zone and circle of influence is the only way to avoid falling prey to the promise weavers. To model your business on hierarchy and silos will only bring you the disillusionment that your are a social business.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Four
A modern organization cannot be led by those unwilling to listen to the wisdom of the crowd. Nor can an organization prosper in these social times when they are unwilling to listen to their customers and employees. To simply isolate yourself from reality in the hope of maintaining your cone of silence is an invitation for failure.
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ChapterFive
Roses are Red. Violets are Blue. It's about your Shareholders. It's
not about You.
What is on your mind?What's happening?
What's new?YOU DECIDE!
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Five
Shareholders are your best source for dialogue. Unlike casual customers, they have a long term investment in your growth and success. How you interact with your shareholders says as much about your company as it does about them.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Five
If you broadcast and they merely consume, you have a disengaged relationship. If you inquire and they opt to ignore, you have a disengaged relationship. If you get them involved and they respond in kind, you have an engaged relationship.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Five
Most shareholder mail provides insight to your shareholders on the status of your company and the direction it is going. In a recent shareholder mail, I opted to throw a twist into the mix. The message was simple and to the point. Send a tweet and carbon copy me so I could see it. The topic of said tweet you may ask? It was for them to decide.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Five
They could tell me what they were eating (cashews) or drinking (beer). They could promote their Facebook fan page or their cause. They could let me know where they were in the world and how beautiful of a day it was (Adelaide. 25 degree C). They could tell me a joke about the dyslexic Satanist, who sold his soul to Santa.
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Chapter Five
They could offer up a few quotes about "... worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum." They could remind me to make today count and let the generosity flow. They could simply share, share, and share what was important to them with me.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Five
It cost me currency to send this request. It cost me nothing to focus on my shareholders instead of myself. The gain was a night long discussion across multiple tweets. The purpose was to reach out and engage with those who choose to engage with me. The end result, I got to know them better and in the end that is what Customer Service is all about.
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ChapterSix
Recycled Ideas. What is Old is New. What is New is Old. The Pendulum of Commerce Often
Requires a Nudge of Innovation.
What is Innovation?What makes an Idea
Great?What is your Eureka
Moment?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Six
We are always looking for that next big wave. The one that will sweep in the rush of financial success. The one that will wash away the remnants of past failures. We are always looking for something new to replace the old.
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Chapter Six
The reality in life is that very few things are truly new. We are a society built upon recycled ideas, thoughts, manneri sms and express ions. Organizations do not tend to radically innovate. Marketing has a tendency to enhance previous concepts. Commerce tends to reward tweaks to existing business models.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Six
While we have seen massive changes in our generational growth, most of what surrounds us is more evolutionary in nature than revolutionary. While technology has masked what we once held as gospel, the core behind it all still retains the purity of production, distr ibution, and communication.
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Chapter Six
You see an idea is like the mass (bob) of a pendulum. It is attached to a string of thought influenced by the strength of its gravity. It moves from one extreme to the next. As the concept gets too complex, we find ways to make it simpler. As the fashion becomes bland, we dress it up and make it flashy again.
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Chapter Six
We are constantly adjusting to account for the shift of the pendulum. Those who are able to account for the direction and amplitude are best positioned for mass adoption.
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Chapter Six
In time, the pendulum will come to rest if left to its mechanical expression (Q factor). That time has come for organizations who have made a b u s i n e s s o u t o f r e c y c l e d i d e a s . Fo r the pendulum to remain in motion, an external influence is required. A secondary mechanism must exist to keep the business from becoming dormant. Consider this your nudge.
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ChapterSeven
Your Key Inbound Marketing Strategy is Re-Purposed In-Flow
Content. Having a Strong Engaged Tribe Doesn't Hurt
Either.
What is Marketing?Who controls the Funnel?
What drives the Flow?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Seven
I have said it before and I am making it clear again. The KEY to a successful Inbound Marketing strategy is Re-Purposed In-Flow Content.
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Chapter Seven
Yes, consistency, quality, value, and addressing "What's in it for me?" are all important elements to your marketing strategy. These elements have been in place in Traditional Marketing since the dawn of time. But in the Digital Age, the key, the element that makes it all work, is Re-Purposed In-Flow Content.
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Chapter Seven
The Digital Age allows for us to fully integrate what we do during our "in-flow" activities and incorporate it into a much wider spectrum that is Inbound Marketing. Once re-purposed, the content is allowed to spread through your network tiers to those who will be drawn to your business.
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Chapter Seven
I have heard great things about HubSpot from people who use it. As for myself, I do not use it. I have opted to leverage Empire Avenue for my tribe to "prime the pump" on my content. Fundamentally, that is what sites like HubSpot, Triberr, etc are all about. They are prepackaged "tribes" to use the Seth Godin analogy.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Seven
At the end of the day, anytime you can leverage an existing community to spread the first round of your word, the better. If the content is worthy, the second tier and third tier will pick it up and run with in.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Seven
That pretty much sums up the traffic equation of Inbound Marketing. On the content side, I have always been partial to video as a key element to any Inbound Marketing efforts. The nice thing with video, is that it can also be extracted as audio (two birds as it were). Go one step further and you can transcribe it as a blog entry (third bird, same stone).
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Chapter Seven
The key here is consistent re-purposed in-flow content that targets what is on the mind of your audience.
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Chapter Seven
The days of static websites with high link back schemes are over. The key is for any website to have consistently updated content that allows for social interactions, which at the end of the day meets the new SEO algorithms, as well as provides a reason for people to consistently come back to your website.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Seven
For my own company, I make use of a weekly podcast as the Inbound Marketing strategy for my studio website. This site is 100% tumblr, has zero HTML coding, has full capacity to have fresh content on the left pane while providing for static call to action content on the right pane. The new model for Inbound Marketing and website development in my opinion.
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Chapter Seven
To prove my point about the key to Inbound Marketing being Re-Purposed In-Flow Content, 80% of this chapter is a direct copy of a reply to an e-mail I wrote this morning. When are you going to stop thinking as Marketing as a division, and start thinking of your entire business as a means of generating buzz for your company?
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ChapterEight
A New Economy for a Brave New World. A World based on Prosperity and Commerce on a
Global Plane.
Who is your Customer?Where are they Located?What is their Demand?How will you Supply it?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Eight
The world as we know it, is not new. It is made up of elements of our fathers, grand-fathers, and fore-fathers. It is the culmination of values imparted upon us by our mothers, matriarchs, and the earth who is mother to us all. While the past has defined our present, the future is ours to define.
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Chapter Eight
The basic building blocks of a successful economy has a known formula. The equation for profit is to sell a product or service at a higher cost than what it costs to produce. This profit is reinvested back into society to ensure that new elements are formulated to drive commerce.
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Chapter Eight
Commerce seeks to match those who demand with those who wish to supply. When demand exceeds supply, new players emerge in the market driving down prices and restricting profit margins.
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Chapter Eight
Those who succeed shift their business models to lower expenses or create new demands for higher revenues. The ebbs and flows of commerce require keen insight of future trends and historical patterns. For every winner there is often many losers, but "the spice must flow" to ensure the survival of the fragile ecosystem that inhabits this planet.
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Chapter Eight
While some regions lay barren to waste, others are flush with the green of capitalistic wealth. This model, often flawed by the index of greed that corrupts it, has been a mainstay of society since the age of man. Very little has changed other than those who would claim King of the Mountain. UNTIL NOW!
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Eight
We now live in a world, where the once powerful elite are hampered by inefficiencies of scale. What was once considered an economy of scale, no longer equates. Office Politics, Disengaged Cultures, and Organic Distrust now plague their well adorned towers.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Eight
They are unable to innovate to meet new demand and prefer to litigate to hamper competitive supply. They are incapable of retaining the bright minds that once gave vision to darkened futures.
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Chapter Eight
We are shifting to an age of micro-engagements, of a tele-commuting workforce, of freemium-based information technology, and of social profiles based on transparency of action, insights, and intentions.
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Chapter Eight
The cost savings models have shifted from full time, part time, consulting, outsourced, near shore, offshore, to a model that embraces all of these elements as one. A model that is based on the expenses of a human being working out of their basement studio incurring the revenues that a global market can present to one meeting the unique character they exhibit.
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ChapterNine
What is your Password? Social Infringement on your Privacy is the latest HR Scam perpetuated
by Traditional Businesses.
What is your Sexual Orientation?
What is your Religious Belief ?
What is your Facebook Password?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Nine
Imagine this if you will. You are unemployed in a downturn economy. You have a spouse, 3 kids, 2 dogs and a ballooning mortgage. You come across a job listing you are qualified for. You are asked to log into the job site using Facebook for easy access. You submit your resume and await the call while the system scans your social profile.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Nine
A few days later, the phone rings and you set up an interview for the following week. You arrive for the interview in your fanciest suit with a new haircut that could have put food on the table and gas in your car. You are excited and thrilled to be considered for a position in a company that you highly value.
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Chapter Nine
The interview goes well. You responded to all their questions honestly and accurately. You added in some insights that would earmark you as a unique and preferred candidate. You think it went well and that the job is almost yours. Your financial woes are soon to be over and life will return to normal.
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Chapter Nine
The HR manager, who legally could not ask you about your sexual orientation or religious beliefs, does the unthinkable. They ask you to hand over your Facebook account and password for further screening. Faced with the thought of continued unemployment, you agree out of fear and cohersion.
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Chapter Nine
As they scan your friends, uploaded pictures, status updates both public and private, you sit there is complete disbelief at what is happening.
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Chapter Nine
Upon review you are deemed to not be a pedophile, a state terrorist, an escaped felon or a soapbox lunatic. You are handed an offer letter with firm contractual obligations.
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Chapter Nine
You are required to friend your immediate supervisor and the head of HR on Facebook. You are not to post any negative status updates about your lengthy commute, your work habits, your corporate concerns, or your annoying co-workers. You must like the company's Facebook page. You must share PR material issued by the company on your personal profile.
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Chapter Nine
Upon termination, you must unfriend any current employees and cease communicating with them.
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Chapter Nine
Sounds farfetched, but this is happening right now. These HR policies and corporate mindsets go against everything that is Social Business. Most job seekers unfortunately will simply accept these new terms without any resort or retort. Well, I am making it clear right here and now. I will not work for any company who would promote or allow this form of social privacy invasion and social profile hijacking.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Nine
A Social Business is one that recognizes that successful relationships are based on implied trust. A Social Business is one that values the opinions of its employees and customers whether positive or negative.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Nine
A Social Business is one that understands that focussing on being a great company will make people want to spread the word across their social graph. A Social Business respects your privacy and embraces your transparency. A Social Business would never ask you for your Facebook password.
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ChapterTen
What does The Six Million Dollar Man and Knight Rider
have to do with Social Business?
You have the Money!You have the Technology!
You have the Means!Do you have the Culture?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Ten
In the opening segment of the popular 1974-1978 TV Series, The Six Million Dollar Man, Oscar Goldman recites these famous words.
"Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the
world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before.
Better...stronger...faster."
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Chapter Ten
For those of you born later, allow me to use another example. In the opening segment of the popular 1982-1986 TV Series, Knight Rider, we are introduced to a man who does not exist. The crusading organization needed a man to pair with the Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT), Michael Knight would become that man.
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Chapter Ten
What do these two shows have in common. They are both examples of organizations who put their faith behind the pairing of technology and a human being.
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Chapter Ten
In The Six Billion Dollar Man, the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) invested millions to rebuild a former astronaut with bionic implants. In Knight Rider, the Foundation for Law and G o v e r n m e n t ( F L A G ) g a v e a m a n a new identity and paired him with a high-tech Pontiac Trans Am controlled by a computer with artificial intelligence.
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Chapter Ten
Both shows dealt with the introduction of state of the art technology of their era. Both shows went on to become pop culture icons spawning numerous copy cat shows, spin offs, and merchandize gold mines.
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Chapter Ten
Both shows also understood what many organizations fail to comprehend when it comes to the latest gizmo, gadget, tool, platform, or Social Media Enterprise Collaboration and Community Wonderkit (aka Sharepoint, Jive, Salesforce, etc).
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Chapter Ten
In 1966, Abraham Maslow was quoted as saying, "I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail." Sadly, for most, this is exactly how they react t o n e w t e c h n o l o g y a n d n e w operational paradigms.
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Chapter Ten
An organization spends millions of dollars investing in a new collaboration platform, simply to see its users still using it as a file storage mechanism. A company invests in brand new tablets with real time capabilities, only to finds its employees still sending e-mails and attaching documents in a reply-all apocalypse.
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Chapter Ten
The organizations that become successful at integrating new technology, do exactly that, they integrate it. These organizations realize that the most sophisticated car needs the human element to interact and gauge the subtleties of the environment. These companies realize that the keenest eyesight, fastest legs, and strongest arms are not an advantage without the insight to determine friend or foe, and flee or fight.
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Chapter Ten
Organizations who wish to invest in technologies to enhance their competitive advantage, need to realize that this investment requires a human element. They must ensure that the right people are chosen to wield the power that have been awarded to them. They must provide them with the autonomy to reach out and test the limits of their new found devices.
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Chapter Ten
They must outline the goal of the technology and not just the operational elements outlined in the manual.
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Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Ten
These companies should remember that all the successful examples of technological advancement came with the pairing of human beings. The human element must share the mission, embrace the ideals, and comprehend the technology they now possess. Technology that is not integrated with the human element is destined to fall apart at the seams, rust in a scrap yard, or suffer an early cancellation.
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ChapterEleven
To Blog or Not To Blog? It is not a Question, but an Answer to
your Fundamental Identity as a Human Being.
Why should you Blog?What will you write
About?Who do you want to
Become?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Eleven
Some days I stare at this blank canvas and wonder what text I will contribute to the Google repository. The question is never should I blog or should I not. The answer is clear, blogging has become a core element of my Digital Footprint. I have no less than ten blogs that I contribute content to.
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Chapter Eleven
The concept of writer's block is not foreign to anybody who has decided to put thoughts to words. What cures this ill is the act of writing itself.
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Chapter Eleven
The very act of putting thoughts to words allows words to inspire new thoughts. Some refer to this as free writing or stream-of-consciousness writing. The very act of writing will allow you to formulate what you are struggling to take form in the first place. You may have an idea in your mind as to where you wish to go, but the goal is to allow yourself to go where your fingers take you.
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Chapter Eleven
Which brings me to a famous quote by Douglas Adams.
“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.”
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Chapter Eleven
Those of you who also follow my writings at Life@42: A Leadership Social Novel are already aware of the importance of 42 to my philosophy of life and business. The very nature of my quote "Content is Free. Context is where the Value is." stems from the inner study of the great equation of life, the universe, and everything.
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Chapter Eleven
So it should not be a surprise that another quote by Douglas Adams should manifest itself in this blog post on the very nature of blogging itself. The ability to outline your thoughts for the world to see is a very powerful thing. The very act of writing them out is not only therapeutic, but also one of identity.
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Chapter Eleven
Most organizations and individuals keep their thoughts to themselves. It is not that they are unable to write. This very post is proof that simply typing without concern can lead to a core artifact and perhaps inspirational call to arms. The problem stems in their fear of being public or transparent in a society which often frowns upon those who seek to break the mold and display their uniqueness.
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Chapter Eleven
It is mindsets like this that have caused most organizations to be filled with mindless automatons better suited for the factory floor of robotics and well timed execution of repetitive tasks. The problem of course is that as more and more elements become automated, we lose track of the human element that make our products and services desirable in the first place.
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Chapter Eleven
We have spent the better part of the last century coding systems and proceduralizing processes. This has left us with stale cultures and risk-adverse Luddites. As systems become more and more foreign to the human dimensions, we simply disconnect from ourselves and our compatriots.
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Chapter Eleven
While technology is at the very foundation of this blog, its thoughts, expressions, sentiments are very human. At the end of the day, our businesses need to become more human and blogging is a core element in ensuring that those who choose to engage do so with another human.
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ChapterTwelve
Land the Sale! Why a "Content Spiral Engagement Strategy" will convert your Sales Funnel into a
Sales Tornado.
What is your Inbound Marketing Strategy?
What platforms does it Target?
What customers does it Support?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Twelve
We have all been there. A thought leader announces that they will be participating in a webinar on a topic you are passionate about. You follow the link and register for the event. At the appointed date and time, you log in and enjoy their insights after a brief intro by the sponsor. An hour later, you resume your daily grind fueled by newly acquired wisdom.
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Chapter Twelve
A week later the phone rings daily, multiple messages are left, and your inbox is flooded by sales requests. You don't even recall who the sponsor was, let alone why you would be interested in their product and services. Simply put, you arrived, you listened, and you left satisfied with the intent of your purpose. Mistakingly, the act of attending the webinar deemed you a "qualified lead" for the sponsor's sales funnel.
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Chapter Twelve
The biggest problem facing most organizations is the gap between a lead and a sale. All marketing efforts and CRM campaigns are geared towards narrowing this gap. However, the gap exists for a reason as does the process of lead qualification.
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Chapter Twelve
To simply compress the sales funnel by auto-quali fying leads is an al l too common practice. The end result is a disgruntled potential customer, a frustrated sales agent and another scheduled webinar to backfill the now depleted sales funnel.
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Chapter Twelve
Organizations who adopt a "Content Spiral Engagement Strategy" understand that the sales funnel has evolved in the Social Era. The very nature of Inbound Marketing is to pre-qualify your leads before you start engaging the sales department.
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Chapter Twelve
The purpose of the Content Spiral is to allow your content to self-navigate the lead through the sales funnel. Each piece of content is cross linked across platforms and draws the lead further into the engagement process.
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Chapter Twelve
Digital content distributed in a spiral pattern not only layers downwards but also propagates outwards. As the lead self-navigates down the funnel, the content is shared across their landscape. It is the very dual nature of the Content Spiral that allows the funnel to touch the ground and become a tornado.
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Chapter Twelve
The intensity of intent becomes far reaching. The intent of action becomes absolute. The action of transaction become status worthy. The sales funnel re-populates itself with self-qualifying leads.
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ChapterThirteen
The Doubting Thomas. How an Agilistic Operational Model can
Convert the Unbelievers into Disciples and Saints.
Does your anger fuel your Belief ?
Does your belief fuel your Anger?
Can you simply Believe?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Thirteen
At the gates of Heaven, the mortal was asking admittance to his eternal life. When asked of his past deeds and future aspirations, their admittance was denied outright. When the mortal asked why, the response was brisk and blunt. "It is my belief that you would be the most loyal of my followers, if you believed in me. It is also my belief that you would be my strongest opponent, if you did not believe in me."
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Chapter Thirteen
Every organization has them. They often sit in their office with their door open and their mind shut. They feel the change all around them and yet cannot imagine the possibilities. Their imagination is curtailed by their inability to env i s ion a mani fe s ted outcome. Every organization has The Doubting Thomas.
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Chapter Thirteen
They are the ones who demand proof before taking action. They tender others to formalize their beliefs through RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, and RFHs. They model extensive ROI equations based on false numbers only they choose to believe in. They prefer to spend millions on what others do not want in fear of believing in the vision of others. They are the ones who fail to trust until they see it with their own eyes.
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Chapter Thirteen
In their mind, they are the gatekeepers of truth, equality, logic, and wisdom. To change their beliefs often requires a miracle founded on crushed ideals and diluted principles. To them, you are the embodiment of something that cannot be and your proposal less so. They are often the bottleneck of progress and the dead end of inspiration. They can bury an organization under rubble of distrust and inaction.
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Chapter Thirteen
While every organization has The Doubting Thomas, not every organization is hampered by them. The ability to generate proof of concept and actionable results dispels their mistrust. By adopting an Agilistic Operational Model, an organization can find success through incremental results.
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Chapter Thirteen
Only through proof of outcome will progress be made in their eyes. The Doubting Thomas can eventually become a believer and as a result your strongest proponent.
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ChapterFourteen
Titanic Social Business Lessons. What has 100 years taught us
about Silos, Class Hierarchy, and Icebergs.
Is your business Sinking?Are you navigating
commercial Hazards?Is your hierarchy poorly
Engineered?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Fourteen
To many Generation Y, Titanic was a movie based on fictional characters and a tragic tale of lost lives and lost love (now in 3D). If you don't believe me, simply search the word Titanic on Twitter to see some of the surreal statements being made on the 100th anniversary of its sinking. For those who know better, it was a milestone in engineering and a chapter in our history that should never be forgotten.
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Chapter Fourteen
There is an old saying that states that history is doomed to repeat itself if we don't learn from it. Education and awareness play a large role in ensuring that this does not happen. Re-engineering and re-tooling play a far larger role in ensuring that we learn and adapt from those lessons.
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Chapter Fourteen
So what have we learned in the last 100 years from the sinking of Titanic? More importantly, how can your business implement changes based on those lessons that will ensure that it will live to tell the tale another day.
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Chapter Fourteen
A lot will be said about the unsinkable design of the Titanic. It was engineered to seal off water across verticals silos. It would stay afloat if the damage was limited to the four silos in the front or two silos in the rear. The sheer bulk of the Titanic would balance the added weight in those compartments and stay afloat.
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Chapter Fourteen
History will remember that more than four silos were flooded causing the ship to dip forward, snap in half, and sink to the depth at an alarming pace.
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Chapter Fourteen
A lot will be said about the historical class structure of the era. The very fabric of society ensured that only the richest and fairest would benefit from the perks the Titanic offered. Woman and children first and the Captain will sink with the ship were popular mantras of the era.
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Chapter Fourteen
What was a l so ve r y popu la r was the compartmentalization of classes. While the misconception is that the classes were structured horizontally across the Titanic, they were actually vertical silos spread across multiple decks. Even though different classes shared the same deck, they never intermingled or communicated until disaster struck.
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Chapter Fourteen
A lot will be said about the Iceberg that the Titanic failed to navigate successfully. The Titanic was a massive ship, but the Iceberg that sunk it was 80% larger in size than what was visible. The Titanic was a fast ship, but the propellers suddenly put into reverse made it a sitting duck.
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Chapter Fourteen
The Titanic was an extravagant cruise liner, but it d i d n ' t h a v e t h e l u x u r y o f t i m e or maneuverability that cold night. The Titanic had shifted from open waters to treacherous alleys requiring foresight, insight, and communication to navigate the hazards.
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Chapter Fourteen
The Titanic sunk because of mult ip le failures cumulating in what was a perfect storm on a clear night. The spotters didn't have the binoculars needed to see the details awaiting them. The Captain used reaction techniques far more in line with smaller vessels.
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Chapter Fourteen
The new Marconi radio was not fully integrated into the framework of the command structure. Chaos ensued when multiple class structures broke down their gates and flailed to survive. While engineered to handle the rush of water, the ship was not designed to spread the load across the vessel causing a disastrous silo effect.
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Chapter Fourteen
Your business is currently in dangerous waters. The economic reality requires you to re-examine what is a luxury. The growth of Social Media r e q u i r e s y o u t o r e - e n v i s i o n w h a t i s communication. The bureaucracy of Office Politics requires you to re-model what is an organization. The speed of change requires you to re-think what is standard procedure.
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Chapter Fourteen
The unseen portion of the Iceberg can doom you to the depths of a watery grave, or be the missing element that will re-define what it means to be an Agile Organization.
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ChapterFifteen
Don't let that Needle Burst your Bubble. How to Ensure that your Tagged Drunken Picture becomes
a Needle in a Haystack.
Are you Anonymous?Are you Infamous?
Are you Mysterious?Are you a Needle in a
Haystack?
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Chapter Fifteen
I have a friend. Let's call him Nick. Nick went partying last month. Some would call it a bender, other would call it legen...wait for it...dary. Nick is often the life of the party. After a few drinks, Nick becomes the center of his own universe and yours. Nick is, well, Nick is Nick.
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Chapter Fifteen
Last week, I got a call from Nick. You could hear the fear in his voice. The sheer pleas of desperation were quite familiar to me. Nick became the latest victim of a well known phenomena in the Social Era. Nick's high spirited party antics were captured and tagged for all to see. When you searched for Nick, that night's drunken picture graced the top results. Nick was forever branded as a drunken fool for all to see.
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Chapter Fifteen
"You gotta help me bro", Nick was pleading, "I am applying for a new job and if they search my name, this is the only thing they will find." Nick's drunken photo represents what I often refer to as the needle of your Digital Footprint. The needle in this case is not something you wish people to find. This needle will quite literally burst your bubble.
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Chapter Fifteen
Nick desperately wanted to have that picture removed from the Internet. While he removed the original image, the reference to his legendary night would not disappear. It had been shared, cached, copied, and tagged beyond his control. No matter what Nick did, he could not escape the imagery of that night. Or so that is what Nick thought.
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Chapter Fifteen
There are many services that will help you deal with your reputation management. They will scour the Internet and remove anything that can be damaging to your personal brand. If Nick was to reach out to them, they could "fix" his problem. I am sure that when people searched for him online, they would no longer see that picture. They would actually see nothing at all, and that is the problem that Nick really has.
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Chapter Fifteen
The issue is not that this image comes up when you search for Nick. The issue is that this image is the ONLY thing that comes up when you search for Nick. This is the case with the vast majority of individuals who fear having their instances of joy become moments of infamy.
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Chapter Fifteen
In the Social Era, we are all potential victims of the paparazzi, aka our friends tagging us on Facebook. To combat this new transparency, requires even more transparency.
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Chapter Fifteen
What Nick needs to do is build a haystack to compliment his existing needle. The goal is not as much to hide the needle, but to provide additional content to further define who he is.
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Chapter Fifteen
Nick didn't have a Linkedin profile extolling his accomplishments and experience. Nick didn't have a blog providing context for his views on business leadership. Nick didn't have a YouTube channel capturing insightful moments from the many conferences he attended. Nick didn't have a Twitter account engaging with those who shared his ideals and aspirations. Nick didn't have a website curating his haystack.
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Chapter Fifteen
Nick only had a needle.
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Social Media 101
A Social Business Hangout with Robert Lavigne, Therese Lavigne,
and Marcel Lavigne.
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Social Media 101
#StayTuned
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We Love Brantford
A Social Business Hangout with Robert Lavigne, Jeff Thibodeau,
and Jaime Thibodeau.
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
We Love Brantford
#StayTuned
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Downtown Brantford
A Social Business Hangout with Robert Lavigne and
John Bradford.
Robert Lavigne (@RLavigne42.com), Your SocialBusinessMentor.com
Downtown Brantford
#StayTuned
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SocialBusinessMentor.comfacebook.com/SocialBusinessMentor
Coming Soon...
Lessons from The Brant Cave
Special Edition
byRobert Lavigne,
Your Social Business Mentor
Volume Two in The Brant Cave Series
#StayTuned
Contact @RLavigne42.com
Robert Lavigne, Your Social Business Mentor, is available for online mentoring sessions u s i n g S k y p e , G o o g l e Hangout, and even your Phone.
I n p e r s o n , L i f e @ 4 2 Workshops featuring Robert L a v i g n e , c a n a l s o b e scheduled for any group size and topics.
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