Quantity/Quality lists shown above are from my social media presentation, which you can download by clicking on this link: Social Karma Presentation
Effectively using social media in a business context requires a significant commitment—mostly measured in time.
Since the “opportunity cost” of social media can be quite high, many understandably argue about how to effectively measure its return on investment (ROI), which can often feel like you are searching for the Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster.
No, social media ROI is not an urban myth.
However, the Albert Einstein quote “not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted” is relevant to social media ROI because quality is more important than quantity—and quality is also more difficult to measure.
Social media ROI is not measured in followers, fans, recommendations, subscribers, comments or other feedback. Although this quantitative analysis is useful and its metrics can be meaningful, it is important to realize that this only measures connection.
Qualitative analysis is more challenging because it attempts to measure your engagementwith the online community.
Engagement is about going beyond establishing a presence and achieving active participation. Engagement is measured by the quality of the relationships you are able to form and maintain—not the quantity of connections you are able to collect and count.
Although both quantitative and qualitative analysis are essential to forming a complete measurement of your social media ROI, quality is more important than quantity, because engagement is more important than connection.
Engagement requires a long-term investment in the community, but if you’re not willing to make a long-term investment, then don’t expect any meaningful returns from your social media efforts.
Don’t Ignore “The Man Behind the Curtain”
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on Vimeo by clicking on this link:OCDQ Video
Data Quality (DQ) View is an OCDQ regular segment. Each DQ-View is a brief video discussion of a data quality key concept.
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on Vimeo by clicking on this link:DQ-View on Vimeo
The graphics shown in the video were created under a Creative Commons Attribution License using:Wordle
New Data Resolutions
If one of your New Year’s Resolutions was not to listen to my rambling, here is the video’s (spoiler alert!) thrilling conclusion:
Now, of course, in order for this to truly count as one of your New Data Resolutions for 2011, you will have to provide your own WHY and WHAT that is specific to your organization’s enterprise data initiative.
After all, it’s not like I can eat healthier or exercise more often for you in 2011. Happy New Year!
Data Quality (DQ) View is an OCDQ regular segment. Each DQ-View is a brief video discussion of a data quality key concept.
As I posited in The Circle of Quality, an organization’s success is measured by its business results, which are dependent on the quality of its business decisions, which rely on the quality of its data. In this new DQ-View segment, I want to briefly discuss the relationship between data quality and decision quality and examine a few crucial aspects of the journey from data to decision.
DQ-View: From Data to Decision
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on Vimeo by clicking on this link:DQ-View on Vimeo
Data Quality (DQ) View is an OCDQ regular segment. Each DQ-View is a brief video discussion of a data quality key concept.
Continuing the happiness meme making its way around the data quality blogosphere, which I contributed to with my previous blog posts Delivering Data Happiness and Why isn’t our data quality worse?, in this new DQ-View segment I want to discuss achieving data quality happiness.
DQ View: Achieving Data Quality Happiness
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on Vimeo by clicking on this link:DQ-View on Vimeo
Data Quality (DQ) View is an OCDQ regular segment. Each DQ-View is a brief video discussion of a data quality key concept.
When you present the business case for your data quality initiative to executive management and other corporate stakeholders, you need to demonstrate that poor data quality is not a myth—it is a real business problem that negatively impacts the quality of decision-critical enterprise information.
But a common mistake when selling the business benefits of data quality is focusing too much on the negative aspects of not investing in data quality. Although you would be telling the truth, nobody may want to believe things are as bad as you claim.
Therefore, in this new DQ-View segment, I want to discuss avoiding what is sometimes referred to as “the Cassandra Effect.”
DQ-View: The Cassandra Effect
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on Vimeo by clicking on this link:DQ-View on Vimeo
Data Quality (DQ) View is an OCDQ regular segment. Each DQ-View is a brief video discussion of a data quality key concept.
This recent tweet by Dylan Jones of Data Quality Pro succinctly expresses a vitally important truth about the data quality profession.
Although few would debate the necessary requirement of skill, some might doubt the need for passion. Therefore, in this new DQ-View segment, I want to discuss why data quality initiatives require passionate data professionals.
DQ-View: Is Data Quality the Sun?
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on Vimeo by clicking on this link:DQ-View on Vimeo
Data Quality (DQ) View is an OCDQ regular segment. Each DQ-View is a brief video discussion of a data quality key concept.
Effective communication improves everyone’s understanding of data quality, establishes a tangible business context, and helps prioritize critical data issues. Therefore, as the first video in my new DQ-View segment, I want to discuss a critical role that far too often is missing from data quality initiatives—Designated Asker of Stupid Questions.
DQ-View: Designated Asker of Stupid Questions
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on Vimeo by clicking on this link:DQ-View on Vimeo
Photo via Flickr (Creative Commons License) by: macwagen
I have always wanted to see my name in lights. However, this photo (of the Harris Theater on Liberty Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is probably the closest that I will ever come to such a luminous achievement.
In this blog post, I will simply shine the bright stage lights upon the reasoning behind my somewhat theatrical blogging style.
Metaphorically Blogging
Regular readers know (and perhaps all too well) that I have a proclivity for using metaphors in my blogging.
Most often, I employ conceptual metaphors in an attempt to explain data quality (and its related disciplines) by providing context about a key concept I am trying to convey by casting it within a situation that (hopefully) my readers can more easily relate to, and (hopefully) later be able to use the conceptual metaphor to draw meaningful parallels to their own experiences.
Sometimes I weave metaphors into the very tapestry of the fine written-woven fabric that is my blogging style (such as with that admittedly terrible example). Other times, the metaphor provides the conceptual framework for a blog post. Some of my many examples of this technique include equating data quality with going to the dentist, having a bad cold, or fantasy league baseball.
However, by far my most challenging metaphors—not only for me to write, but also for my readers to understand—is when I blog either a story or a song (well, technically lyrics since—and believe me, you should be very thankful for this—I don’t sing).
Both my story posts and my song posts (please see below for links) are actually allegories since they are extended metaphors where I usually don’t include any supporting commentary, thereby hoping that they illustrate their point without explanation.
Even before the evolution of written language, storytelling played an integral role in every human culture. Listening to stories and retelling them to others continues to be the predominant means of expressing our emotions and ideas—even if nowadays we get most of our stories from television, movies, or the Internet, and less from reading books or having in-person conversations.
And, of course, both before and after the evolution of written language, music played a vital role in the human experience, and without doubt will continue to provide us with additional stories through instrumental, lyrical, and theatrical performances.
I also believe that one of the best aspects of the present social media revolution is that it’s reinvigorating the story culture of our evolutionary past, providing us with more immediate and expanded access to our collective knowledge, experience, and wisdom.
Metaphorically Speaking
Last summer, metaphor maven James Geary recorded the following fantastic TED Talk video, during which he explains how we all use metaphors to compare what we know, to what we don’t know, and he quotes the sage wisdom of Albert Einstein:
“Combinatory play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought.”
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on TED by clicking on this link:Metaphorically Speaking
Conclusion
Whether you blog or not, you use metaphors, stories, and sometimes songs, to help you make sense of the world around you.
The very act of thinking is a form of storytelling. Your brain tries to compare what you already know, or more precisely, what you think you already know, with the new information you are constantly receiving. Especially nowadays when the very air you breath is literally teeming with digital data streams, you are being continually inundated with new information.
Your brain’s combinatory play experiments with bridging your neural pathways with different metaphors, until eventually it finds the right metaphor and your cognitive dissonance falls away in a flash of insight that brings a new depth of understanding and helps you discover a new way to rule the world—metaphorically speaking of course.
Since 1955, April 15 has been “Tax Day” in the United States—the deadline for filing your state and federal income tax returns.
Therefore, it’s common for alternative taxation models to be discussed today. For example, one such alternative is the FairTax.
I would like to propose another alternative—The Spam Tax.
I Don’t Like Spam!
Although never a big fan of the “food” version of Spam, I am proposing a tax on the electronic version, as defined by Wikipedia:
“Spam is the abuse of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages indiscriminately. While the most widely recognized form of spam is e-mail spam, the term is applied to similar abuses in other media: instant messaging spam, Usenet newsgroup spam, Web search engine spam, spam in blogs, wiki spam, online classified ads spam, mobile phone messaging spam, Internet forum spam, junk fax transmissions, social networking spam, television advertising and file sharing network spam.”
Can you even imagine how much money could be raised if we could find a viable way to tax spam?
Even conservative estimates indicate almost 80% of all e-mail sent world-wide is spam. A similar percentage of blog comments are spam, and spam generating bots are quite prevalent on Twitter and other microblogging and social networking services.
Of course, I have absolutely no idea how we would actually implement The Spam Tax.
Even if I did, Gelatinous Glaze (aka “The Spam Lobby” in Washington, D.C.) would demand a pound of chopped shoulder meat from every member of the United States Congress known to be under their influence (aka “in the tiny tin can of Big Spam”).
If only there was a way to start a grassroots movement that could convince our political leaders that now is the time for change.
Wait a minute! I’ve got it! Every one of us could send our Representatives and Senators an e-mail message!
Perhaps something like the following:
I Like Spam! (the Monty Python sketch)
No respectable discussion of spam can be said to be truly complete without the obligatory inclusion of the Monty Python sketch.
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on YouTube by clicking on this link:Spam (Monty Python)
This post is the conclusion of a series about the art of effectively using social media in business, which is an essential strategy for organizations as well as individual professionals.
Using social media effectively can definitely help promote you, your expertise, your company, and its products and services.
However, too many businesses and professionals have a selfish social media strategy.
You should not use social media to exclusively promote only yourself or your business.
You need to view social media as Social Karma.
Social Karma: The Art of Effectively Using Social Media in Business
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on Vimeo by clicking on this link:Social Karma Video
To download the presentation as an Adobe Acrobat Document (.pdf file) click on this link: Social Karma Presentation
In Part 4 of this series: We discussed some of the recommended blogging best practices and general guidelines for creating useful content in your own unique blogging style.
In Part 5, we will continue discussing the basics of developing your social media strategy by reviewing some other recommended best practices and general guidelines for engaging your community—beyond the pages of your blog.
The Talk Nobody Wants To Hear
If we're honest, then we have to admit, when we considered getting involved with social media, we all had the same question:
“What's in this for me?”
It is a perfectly natural and totally legitimate question. As we have discussed throughout the series, more than anything else, effectively using social media requires a significant commitment—mostly measured in time.
Without question, the “opportunity cost” of social media is high, so you are right to question your return on investment (ROI).
This series is about using social media in a business context. Therefore, ROI is about far more than simply measuring the quality of your experience. I am not going to lie to you—measuring the ROI of social media is very challenging.
However, before we can even attempt to measure ROI, we must honestly evaluate why we are investing in the first place.
The primary reason I started blogging was to demonstrate my expertise and establish my authority with regards to data quality and its related disciplines. As an independent consultant, I am trying to help sell my consulting, speaking, and writing services.
You and/or your company are probably considering using social media to help sell your products and services as well.
However, the only way for any of us to accomplish our goals is—first and foremost—to focus on helping others.
This is the talk nobody wants to hear:
“Social media is NOT about you.”
Home Base = Connection, Outposts = Engagement
In Part 3, we discussed establishing a blog as your home base (where you have complete control), which is connected to your outposts (where you don't have complete control) that provide a presence out in other parts of your online community.
We also discussed how “connection is the message of social media's medium.” This is true. However, effective community participation is about extending connection into engagement—and this actually occurs mainly at your outposts.
As this trend analysis chart provided by PostRank shows, off-site (outpost) has surpassed on-site (home base) for engagement:
“Shift happens,” explains Shawn Rogers. “In the past many of us relied on the metrics of trackbacks, comments, forum posts, and other on-site interactions to determine the level of engagement we have with our online community. Over the past 3 years, there has been a noticeable shift in these numbers.”
I believe true community engagement has always occurred off-site, but what has changed in recent years is social networking sites (outposts) have rapidly evolved into truly effective services.
On-site (home base) connection is important and will continue to be—and true engagement can occur on your home base. However, because you are in control, it can sometimes seem like it's all about you—despite even your best intentions.
Therefore, effectively using social media requires that you go to where the conversations are occurring—your outposts—and participate without always trying to invite everyone back to your home base.
Outpost engagement best practices include the following:
Promote the content of others far more often than you promote your own content
If you use Twitter, then re-tweet more than you tweet (Note: a future part in this series will discuss Twitter in detail)
Leave meaningful comments on other blogs—and only include a link to one of your blog posts if it is truly relevant
Try to respond as promptly to a message left on one of your outposts as you would to a comment left on your blog
If you blog about conversations that originated on one of your outposts, then properly attribute the others involved
Quality is more important than Quantity
How many followers do you have on Twitter? How many friends and fans do you have on Facebook? How many connections and recommendations do you have on LinkedIn? How many visitors, subscribers, and comments do you have on your blog?
Social media can sometimes feel like a popularity contest.
This is one of the many reasons that measuring social media ROI can often feel like you are searching for the Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster. No, ROI is not an urban myth. However, in social media, quality is more important than quantity.
Your outposts and listening stations (Part 2 and Part 3) provide excellent feedback loops allowing you to determine if you're effectively getting your message out and more important, if you're creating a noticeable online presence.
But true ROI is not measured in followers, fans, recommendations, subscribers, comments or other feedback. Although this analysis is useful and its associated metrics are meaningful, it is important to realize that this only measures connection.
True ROI is about measuring your engagementwith the online community.
Engagement is about going beyond simply establishing a presence and achieving active participation. Are you adding value to the community by creating useful content and contributing something meaningful to the collective conversations?
Engagement is measured by the quality of the relationships you are able to form and maintain—and not the quantity of connections you are able to collect and count. Social media is a long-term investment in the community.
Therefore, the truth is you must be patient—your true social media ROI may take a long time to materialize.
Small Town, Big Business
Many organizations as well as individual professionals struggle to understand the value of social media because they attempt to relate to it using a traditional business perspective.
Most of the organizations I discuss social media with are very uncomfortable with being personal and acting human while participating in online communities—because they believe that would somehow be “unprofessional” behavior.
This viewpoint relates to a common misperception about social media—that “social” means “try to act like everyone's friend.”
However, we certainly don’t want organizations to try to act like (or try to become) our friends. In social media—just like any professional or personal interaction—the emphasis needs to be on transparency, which will help build genuine rapport and trust.
I believe the unrelenting growth and popularity of the online communities being facilitated by social media are driving the commercial landscape back to a business model reminiscent of small towns.
On Main Street in the small town where I grew up, I remember many small businesses.
Although I wasn't necessarily friends with the proprietors of these businesses, they weren't total strangers to me. I saw them around town, in the park walking their dog, on the playground with their kids, and at local sporting events.
In other words, I knew that in addition to being professionals who wanted to sell me something if I visited their business, they were also human beings who weren’t any different than the people I did call my friends.
Social media definitely has the professional potential of big business—but it requires the personal rapport of a small town.
Don't Ignore “The Man Behind the Curtain”
In this OCDQ Video, I discuss the importance of the human variable in the social media equation.
If you are having trouble viewing this video, then you can watch it on Vimeo by clicking on this link:OCDQ Video
In Part 6 of this series: We will discuss some of the books that have been the most helpful to my social media education.
