Ice Painting

Steampunk typewriter courtesy etharooni on Flickr CC

Ear to the (Geek) Ground:Tech News You Can Use2012 Update

Thanks for joining us today on the Webinar!

Explain the photo

Your Geek Guide...

Sheila Scarborough

@SheilaS @AWCchat@FreelanceAustin

Co-founder, TourismCurrents.com

I love talking about this stuff!

If I don't know the answer I'll try to find it for you.

It IS hard to keep up with all of this (I consider it part of my full-time job and it's near-impossible for me) so find yourself a tech guide or tech mentor.

Someone a bit further out than you just on the horizon if they fall out of sight, you may not want to go there. :)

If you follow me on Twitter, please at me and say Hi!

What This Is....

A broad-brush snapshot of:

Tech/social media trends

What those trends might mean for communicators

Always asking .... So What?

We're covering a lot of territory, not enough time to go into much depth.

I want you to walk away ready to do more research in the areas that make sense for your business

I want you to be able to say, I've heard of that....

What This Is Not....

A note-taking test!

Reference material will be available

So, put down the pen/keyboard if you'd like, and let's get nerdy....

The Geek Dashboard Pack has links and references, and is a good place for starter kit information about today's topics.

SlideShare, if you haven't heard of it, is a wonderful research resource (and it's Google-indexed, so your SlideShare channel is another way to get your content found. Title, tag and describe with that in mind!)

Big Themes for Today

Power of images

Social business & integration

Data, measurement & ROI

Pause for mid-session Q&A

Mobile

SXSWi 2012 brief trip report

Updating your toolbox

Wrap-up Q&A

I'm going to blast along here, but making every effort to leave time for questions at the halfway point and at the end.

Pinterest(digital bulletin/inspiration boards)

Instagram(shared mobile pics + Photoshop-ish effects)

Foodspotting(shared mobile pics + food porn)

Imagery in action: the Pure New Zealand website

On the Quartz Hill track (via PhillipC at Flickr CC)

Your Takeaways - Images

When in doubt, use a photo

Photo SEO matters (Flickr isn't dead yet)

A photo can be....A blog post

A Facebook update

A tweet

A slide

More prominent part of your website

More prominent in print!

Social Business and Integration

Welder (courtesy Library of Congress on Flickr Commons)

Social Business....an organization that is optimizedto benefit its entire ecosystem(customers, employees, owners,partners) by embeddingcollaboration, information sharing,and active engagement into itsoperations and culture.

(Sidera Works definition, bold emphasis mine)

Social Media vs. Social Business

....take advantage of social media's opportunities....[by] applying social concepts and technology internally to enable collaboration, sharing, innovation, and open engagement.

(Sidera Works discussion in their PDF about social business, bold emphasis mine)

Integration thoughts to ponder:

Do you have a Telephone Director/Coordinator?

Do you have an Email Department?

(social media is a method and tool set; don't treat it as a bolt-on to your plans)

Cross-platform media consumption

Going retro with print

Your Takeaways
Social Biz & Integration

Social business = organization and cultureThink web, not wire diagram

Integrating social media means....Understanding that social is everywhere, not just one department or person

Understanding that it's communications by a different means (often multiple means)

Understanding that there are no magic beans; i.e., do the work!

Data, measurement & ROI

aka, Drowning in Data

We are drowning in data, but don't always know what it's telling us

ROI (Return on Investment)is a formula:

(Gains Cost) / Cost = % of ROI

Of COURSE you can measure social media activity.

Of COURSE you can determine the ROI of your efforts.

Where many are missing the boat: goals, metrics and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

Quick Poll

On

Measuring

Your Takeaways
Data, Measurement & ROI

Data is available, lots of it, down to a VERY granular levelYou must know which data matters!

Saying ROI does not mean diddly squat unless....You have a process and methodology in place to measure it

What's the ROI of a pencil? (Liz Strauss) i.e., the ROI of a ubiquitous tool?

The Pause That Refreshes:
It's Q & A Time!

555 LED flasher candy creation (courtesy oskay at Flickr CC)

Imagine everyone with the web
in their pocket or purse

Shibuya intersection courtesy baldur at Flickr CC

Mobile

Take everything you've ever thought about communications....

.and imagine a mobile version.

Your Takeaways Mobile

Smartphone = publishing machine

Check your website & blog analyticsHow many arrive via mobile?

Are your sites optimized for them?

Location-based services & mobile GPSLess about the check-in, and more about what or who is around me right now?

SXSWi(South by Southwest Interactive)

Where it's already the future

5+ days20,000+ people

3 SXSWi 2012 Award Winners

Slavery Footprint note graphics/scrolling/quiz

SCREW*D Craftsman Tools gets hip; note video and regular folks participating

Storify mashup your social media mentions

(Full winners list on sxsw.com)

Ear to the Ground:
Updating the Communications Toolbox

Tools by L. Marie at Flickr CC

Don't Panic button by Jim Linwood Flickr CC

How can we keep UP with all this?!

The story comes first The emotional connection comes first

THEN apply the best tool

It's not about the shiny tools....

It's about the application of those tools.

Staying Up To Speed

Yes, mainstream mediaBloomberg BusinessWeek

The UK's Guardian Tech section

Find tech-savvy mentors

Go where the geeks areYour local Social Media Club/SM Breakfast

BlogWorld & New Media Expo

CES & Mobile World Congress Barcelona

BlogHer

South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi)

Communicator Takeaways

Keep your goals and overall strategy in mind, or you'll go nuts.

Go where the geeks are, online and off.

MOBILE

Story/emotional connection comes first.

Don't let your toolbox get rusty. Cull and sort, add and subtract as needed.

Whew! Thanks for Coming Today

She's geeky! (courtesy Cambodia4KidsOrg at Flickr CC)

Go Get Nerdy

Sheila Scarborough

@SheilaS @AWCchat @FreelanceAustin

Co-founder,TourismCurrents.com

This presentation was made with OpenOffice.org Impress open source software