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If you’re interested in how corporations are organizing their social media strategies, then the slide show at the bottom of this post will bring you up to date on current practice.

It highlights the results of recent online study, conducted by the Altimeter Group, a technology management consulting firm. The firm surveyed “140 enterprise-class social strategists across industries,” according to the study.

The study’s catalyst was noted web strategist and Altimeter partner Jeremiah Owyang.  His blog Web Strategy gets 70,000 unique visitors monthly so obviously a lot of people believe his insights and research into corporate social media strategy are on the money.  In this presentation he tracks the career path of a Corporate Social Strategist defined as:

“The Corporate Social Strategist is the business decision maker of social media programs — providing leadership, roadmap definition, innovation; and directly influencing the spending on technology vendors and service agencies.”

Among the key findings:

• Almost 80 per cent of those surveyed said their programs are not looking long term, and have existed for less than three years.
• The vast majority of Corporate Social Strategists report to Marketing or Corporate Communications
• Funding is limited, with more than 75% of companies reporting an annual spend of less than $500,000.
• There are five principal ways that companies organize the social media function.
• It’s uncertain whether the Corporate Social Strategist will achieve top management ranks in the next five years.

Do you agree with Altimeter’s definition and where do you think the Corporate Social Strategist will be in his/her organization in five years?  How will they be influencing corporate strategy?

[tweetmeme]A friend is forwarding my bio to his agency’s new social media director who might need some outside help.  As I was touching up a paper copy to send as an attachment, I asked myself, “Are you nuts?” Paper bios and resumes are so 20th century. My entire business life is there for everyone to see on my blog. I tooled around the web to find out what other social media consultants are doing and, sure enough, they have online bios.

Paper bios are so 20th century

Then another “boing” moment. I should add my new bio as a page on my blog, with a new tab “Social Media Bio.”

When I finished writing, I looked at my About page and it seemed bland in comparison. Dull actually. From me, the word mechanic (as someone once called me after I told him what I do).  So I immediately ditched the About page.

This is not contest, in the sense that you won’t receive any prize, but I’d welcome your comments on my new Social Media Bio. I’m still tinkering with it.  Think I’ll move the search box further up, and make a couple of other tweaks.

But I’d love to hear from you, dear readers, about what you like, don’t like or what I might add or delete. Thank you.

P.S. Since writing this post, I’ve updated my bio based on advice from readers and several experts, and also changed my navigation tab back to “About.”  I’m still not sure I’m keeping that term. As always, your thoughts would be appreciated.

There is much talk and more written about effective business communication with your customers and prospects.  But what about how you communicate with yourself?

I began to ponder this question as I sat waiting to be called for a panel on my first day of jury duty.  The laptops thoughtfully provided for the jurors were hopelessly slow and outdated.  So I had the choice of reading the newspaper, or a paperback or pondering the meaning of life.  Finally, time to THINK!

After some thought, I began a conversation with myself about how to move forward with my redesigned blog, the steps I should be taking in new business development and how I should be balancing my personal and work lives, etc. etc.  Wow.  That’s a lot of conversation.

As I pondered how I should be communicating my ideas to myself, I realized I had several options:

• Free Association. Just let the ideas rip.  I guess nowadays that would be known as mind mapping, should I choose to write down the ideas.  But doesn’t this slow down the flow of ideas to myself?
• Make a list. If all else fails, make yet another list to myself.  Hey, Jeannette, what are your top three priorities for the next week, month, year?  Go ahead, write them down.  Wait a minute.  Didn’t I just write a list, ummm, last month?  Wonder where it is.
• Communicate through a friend. Yes!  I’ll call Janet or Andrea and discuss possible courses of action and then ask them to feed back to me, through their lenses, what my priorities should be.  This is a roundabout way to communicate with myself, but it takes a lot of responsibility off my shoulders.  It’s also called avoidance.
• Say and do nothing. Now we’re getting to the heart of the dilemma that I think afflicts a lot of people.  It’s easier to ignore this essential inner conversation and just keep trying stuff to see what sticks. No thinking needed for that.

What I’ve noticed in the complex world of the blogosphere is that my conversations with myself are shorter and less reflective.  Got to keep checking email every two minutes.  Need to get another blog written.  And don’t forget a quick look at Twitter and Facebook.

No time to communicate with myself.  Too busy for meaningful conversation that would replace a lot of wasted time on the web.

I just returned from seeing the excellent film, “Invictus,” starring Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela, shortly after he was elected president of South Africa in the mid-1990s. What I didn’t remember, or possibly ever know, is that Nelson Mandela is one of the most powerful communicators ever to lead a nation.  He succeeded in communicating to whites that they were essential to his vision of a united nation.

After his election, he sought rapprochement with white Afrikaners, not revenge.  He didn’t clear out white staffers and the security detail in the President’s office; rather he offered whites the opportunity to stay, if they wished.  When he pushed the national rugby team to improve so that South Africa could win the Rugby World Cup, he retained the hated name and colors of the team.  His black staff members were furious because the team symbolized years of white oppression.

President Mandela understood that whites were essential to the economy and the path to a multi-racial democracy.  He recognized the urgent need to avoid another war of the races. His actions in keeping white staffers and supporting the mostly white rugby team were more powerful in communicating to whites than any words could possibly be.

In the age of text messaging, the Kindle and email, it is important to understand that words are only one of three communications channels.   Photos and actions speak more powerfully than words.  Nelson Mandela reached out to whites and they got the message.

Andrea Nierenberg

One of the easiest and most effective ways to stay in touch is with the power of the personal note with a “thank you” to a business associate. In research I’ve conducted, I ask the question, “How many of you send out personal notes?” I also ask, “How many of you receive personal notes or cards from clients or business associates?” The response indicates that few people take this practice seriously. As a follow up, I ask, “Has anyone received notes of appreciation, and how does that make you feel?” I trust you know the answer to this last question.

Here are eight opportunities to send a “thank you,” and when and how to do it effectively:

1. When customers do business with you, every time. Write a short, personalized “thank you” on an interesting card, letterhead, or even a postcard that says, “I appreciate your business, thank you.” You can never say thank you to someone too many times. We all appreciate the fact that people go out of their way to make us feel important and recognized.

2. When they compliment you. When a client compliments you about something, it’s an opportunity to jot off a little note of thanks, saying, “Thank you for taking the time for making my day. I appreciate it.” Compliments are given so rarely, so take the lead to say thank you when you get one.

3. When clients offer comments or suggestions. It’s a wonderful gift when your clients give you a suggestion or comment on how you might do something better or different. They’re also giving you an incredible buying signal. They might really be saying, “If you make that change, your product or service will be more attractive to me.” Here’s how to start this type of note: “Thank you for your suggestion on how I can better serve you. I’m in business to do exactly that. And you make my job easier and so much more enjoyable when you provide input.”

4. When customers try something you recommended. When clients buy into something new, solely based on your suggestion, they’re going out of their “comfort zone”. They’re putting trust in you and your product. This calls for a special note that could read, “Thank you for your trust in me. I value your business.”

5. When customers recommend you. This is the best form of advertising you can ever get. It’s so easy to take the time and go back to our advocate, and say, “thank you for referring me to —–. I will keep you posted and informed on what develops. It means a great deal to me to know that you’re willing to recommend me. I appreciate it.” This type of “thank you” might include a small gift as well.

6. When customers are patient, or not so patient. Our clients help us when they give us time to learn how to best serve them. Often this requires their patience. On the other hand, they give us a “wake up call” when they ask us to hurry up. When this happens they might really be saying, “Hello, remember me? Keep me in mind, or I might get swept away by the competition.” In either case, pull out a note card again, and let them know how important they are to you. Perhaps say, “Thanks for keeping me on my toes. I appreciate how you help me keep your business.”

7. When clients say “no” to you. You’ve just pitched an account and you didn’t get their business, this time. It’s still the opportunity to write a short note. Thank them for their time, their consideration and their honesty. Keep the door opened by being friendly and courteous. Research I conducted in the last three years shows that almost 20% of my business comes from prospects that said no the first time. People remembered the notes I sent and it made a difference. Such a difference that I got referrals, even from contacts that were not able to use my services themselves.

8. When customers make you smile. I have one client who e-mails me jokes all the time. Another one will call up and just give me some good news. Whatever it is, it makes me smile, and I want clients to know that they’ve made me feel good. I’ll send them an interesting note or card. This technique always gets noticed and remembered.
So, if you’re not using personal thank-you notes, you should start now and watch how they help your business grow.

Andrea Nierenberg is president of The Nierenberg Group , an international business consulting firm specializing in customized training, workshops and keynote addresses that equip executives with the tools they need to “Find, Grow & Keep”® the clients that are key to their success and to be more effective business communicators.

I just returned from a joyous concert by the U.S. Army’s “Pershing” Band, as it is known, that was in town for its annual concert at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall.   As I sat there with friends tapping my feet and applauding every brassy patriotic song, I thought what a great lesson I was learning about communications.  And that’s this:  when you communicate with joy, you turn an audience into your biggest fans.

And there was no doubt the musicians were having as much fun as the audience.  At the end, the Band played the anthem for each of the service branches and one by one young and grizzled veterans stood proudly while the audience cheered wildly.

I thought:  let’s pretend the bandleader is a company CEO.  He’s leading his musicians with infectious joy.  Wow, it’s great to work for this company.  Is there any employee who won’t want to follow?  How about making it a point to write to employees whenever there is some good news to report – big or small.  Don’t let every communiqué be about the next layoff or we’ve all got to tighten our belts again.  Your employees know that things may be rough in the company, unless they’ve got their heads in the sand, which is doubtful.

This is the truth:  bad news spreads via the grapevine faster than good news.  Fire just one person and before you know it the grapevine has translated that to more layoffs.  So, if you’re the CEO, make sure you feed the grapevine and your normal communications channels with all the good news you can.  It will make you feel better and your employees will become your loyal fans.

Whether you are being interviewed by a print, broadcast or online reporter, you should structure your answer in what journalists call the “inverted pyramid” style. That is, you lead with your most important message. For many executives, this is in direct contrast to the way they approach a problem, that is, by gathering the facts and building a case for a proposal or recommendation.

Just read the lead article in your daily newspaper tomorrow, and you’ll see that the most important news is in the “lead,” or the first paragraph. Unless you have a personal interest in the subject, it is doubtful that you will read the entire article. The facts will be written in descending order of importance, with background detail at the end of the story.

When framing your answer, think in “headlines.” Your headline should be short and simple with one idea. The headline is, in effect, your most important key message that you want to communicate to the reader or listener. It will be supported by evidence, examples, facts, personal experience, anecdotes, visuals, etc. In a television interview, you may not have time for more than one headline and a couple of supporting facts.

As an example of a headline, the House of Representatives is investigating brain injuries to football players.  Facing a barrage of nasty questions from House committee members regarding National Football League policies and research, the Commissioner Roger Goodell responded, “I can think of no issue to which I’ve devoted more time and attention than the health and well-being of our players, and particularly retired players.”  This is the key message he wants as his takeaway: that baseball is committed to the health and well-being of its active and retired players.  Time will tell if his message holds up or is refuted.

The debate on health care has reached a fever pitch with both sides — those for and against it – dug in for the fight.  Until now, President Obama, the most cerebral of presidents, has used the logic of his argument to try to communicate to the American people the details of his health plan.  But it hasn’t been working.

So, in a town-hall-style meeting in Colorado over the weekend, he reverted to the oldest form of communication on earth – story telling.  As my friend and fellow blogger Annie Hart in says in her blog Stories Change the World, “Storytelling is the oldest, most powerful form of communication on the planet. Stories create powerful images that inspire us to think and act in new ways. By harnessing the power of story, you hold the power of creation in your hands.”

In his entreaties to the crowd, the President talked about his own grandmother to push back against unsubstantiated claims that his plan would deny care to elderly parents.  “I just lost my grandmother last year.  I know what it’s like to watch somebody you love who’s aging deteriorate, and have to struggle with that.”  He vigorously denied that the notion that members of congress who have to vote on health care legislation would pull the plug on the elderly.

Story telling appeals to our emotions.  And Obama made a direct appeal to the emotions of his listeners – could anyone believe the government would deny care to grannie?

That’s what reporters want to hear – stories with a middle, beginning and end.  As writing becomes more informal, a direct result of the internet, even news stories look more and more like feature stories.  The old shibboleth of starting a news story with the traditional “who, what, where when and why” has given way to stories that begin “American military women have changed the way the U.S. goes to war and they have done so without the disruption of discipline and unit cohesion that some feared.” (NY Times). This is the beginning of a story, and you want to hear more.

Or, “Khalid Khan’s small construction firm (in Afghanistan) was supposed to build a road here that would open his strife-scarred land to commerce and improve its prospects for peace. Instead he wound up in the hands of the Taliban, hanging upside down.” (WSJ).  You definitely want to know what happened to him.

Have you noticed when you are watching local TV, a reporter covering an accident will begin an interview with the question, “What happened?”  Then a bystander will tell the story, “I was sitting on my stoop when all of a sudden I heard a loud crash. I looked over and saw two cars.  They were a wreck.  I ran to the scene of the accident and with help from other people I tried desperately to pull the passengers from the cars before there was an explosion, but I couldn’t get them out.  I was never so scared in my life.”   Here is a neat little story with a beginning: the crash.  A middle:  he ran to scene but couldn’t get them out.  An ending: he was scared to death.

So, the next time you are trying to get a response from a friend, or a customer, try telling a story.  Involve them.  Tug at their emotions.  It often works as you engage your friend in a story that you both create.

As I’ve written before, internal social networking is growing like wildfire. But not nearly enough companies are leveraging their employees’ love affair with external social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to communicate with customers. I will be describing how they can in a webinar on August 19 at 1 pm. EDT with my colleague Amy Dean.  For a more detailed description and to register for this free one-hour program click on this link FreeWebinarWednesdays.

We will be discussing our concept of “Inside Out Public Relations,” how companies can use employees as brand advocates online to reach their customers and other constituents.  A simple 7-step strategic plan can lead to empowered employees speaking out on their company’s behalf.  Amy will also describe a case study in which she helped an IT consultant use Twitter to become a one-man marketing magnet for CIOs and a go-to source for trade media and conference organizers.

To learn how IBM trusts its employees to use social media wisely, tune in to the video on the landing page of this site.  Along with IBM, it’s time to join companies like Dell, Southwest Airlines, Zappos and Intel and turn public relations inside out!

I’ve posted a simple 5-question poll on Linked-In: Does Your Company Have a Social Media Director to Manage the Company’s Social Media Strategy? Click on Social Media Poll if you would like to take the poll.

I’ll be posting the responses.  Also, please use the Comment section in this post if you would like to add your thoughts on the topic.  I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!