If your idea of forming a social network is still working the crowd at an industry event, then it is time to join the 21st century. As any digitally literate teenager can confirm, online social networks are today's global meet-and-mingle zones. Will joining a social network help you professionally or personally? Could it hurt you in any way? Which networks should you join? How should you use them? Juliette Powell answers these questions and some that are more sophisticated in her savvy new book.
Social networks are no fad. They are a permanent reality: one that offers immense opportunities to smart, innovative businesses. Our interactions, relationships, and values are changing faster than most of us can comprehend. For some, the pace of this change is alarming. For others it is empowering. This slim book provides both practical advice and an insightful commentary on the increasing importance of authenticity in modern culture.
Powell’s wide-ranging research, including coverage on Barack Obama's successful online strategy in his bid for the presidency, connects the dots, uncovering the human dynamics and patterns that consistently underlie successful social networking initiatives. She offers practical tools and advice for optimizing every stage of any social networking initiative from planning through measurement of return on investment (ROI). We all recognize that social networking and the technologies of connection and collaboration are an enormous modern life phenomenon.
Through her stories, she puts a human face on the social changes being wrought online as well as covering key concepts such as viral communication and social capital. Social capital, who you know and the power of those relationships, is a concept that is dramatically transforming how business is run. Today we are all competing on our adaptability i.e. how quickly we can we understand the new economy and leverage new tools. She discusses LinkedIn, which she cites as the best social network for business people. She closely examines Facebook and MySpace, the most popular personal social networks. She explains the pluses and minuses of joining social networks, and provides useful tips on their protocols and customs.
For individuals, the greatest message is to be thoughtful of every communication you post. These posts are going to be your legacy. You have to determine your vision of yourself and make sure that every choice, every word, every message is aligned with that vision. You will be judged by your participation, the groups you join, and the language you use.
For companies social media is a double edged sword. From one perspective it allows access to comprehensive data on potential recruits and the ability to build and monitor one aspect of brand reputation, employee engagement. However, the side of the blade that cuts is that employers are forced to pay even more attention to the customer experience and the employee engagement process. If you don't create great employee Ambassadors, brand reputation may be tarnished because of angry or frustrated employees. Customers have more power to impact your brand reputation. Business will be judged more harshly on every interaction and responsiveness. The exponential repercussions of bad experiences both internal and external are accelerated because of immediacy and virality of social media.
Juliette Powell reveals the power of connections, the strategies to gain audience and the best practices to build community in this brisk-paced overview of the new tools and techniques for doing business in 2010 and beyond. It is jargon-free and an easy read for those who have never dipped a toe in the water, but even experienced networkers will find wisdom in its pages.
