The Three A’s of Listening

If there was one key reminder that I took away yesterday from hearing Chris Brogan address the Social Media Breakfast MN/St.Paul group it was the importance of listening as a key pillar of all of our social media marketing efforts.  He went on to say that it is through this one action that businesses have been able to see the biggest positive effect of this movement.  Members of the retail community (Best Buy and Select Comfort) echoed Brogan’s sentiments.  Revolutionary? No, but a good reminder nonetheless.

I think what they are actually trying to say is that this listening has become a lost art and companies like General Motors are finally asking consumers what they think and but unfortunately it may be too late for them to respond.

Listening has been described as “ hearing with a purpose”. Good listening is built on three basic skills: attitude, attention, and adjustment.  If you acknowledge these three A’s, you can tune into any situation and know what to do next.   It is only with an open ear that we can create change.

Tags: Best Buy, Chris Brogan, General Motors, Listening, Select Comfort

Does Quality Matter with Online Video?

As we all know, the use of online video is growing by staggering numbers.  We are seeing video used to educate (how to videos) which has proven to help sell more product, to entertain (if you are lucky it will go viral), to promote your brand, create awareness… the list goes on.  We also know that video is a significant SEO driver and will be increasingly important in your overall marketing strategies as we move into 2010.

This begs the question of quality.  How important is quality when creating content?  After all, with handheld cameras like the FLIP available for under $200 can’t anyone create a video and put it up on the web?  The answer to that is sure, why not, as long as it is done with intention.  But what about branding and image?  If the video is produced poorly can it not do more harm than good?

I recently came across a video that was created and posted by the Detroit Social Media Club of Chris Barger speaking on General Motors‘ Social Media experiences at a recent event.  After hearing Scott Monty’s impressive presentation at the 2009 MIMA conference this year, I was interested to hear how GM was tackling Social Media.  In a nutshell, I was truly amazed.  The uploaded video was poorly lit, shot from what appears to be a handheld camera from the back of a room, had several people walking in front of the camera, cell phones ringing loudly in the background, and questionable audio at best.  I had a hard time focusing on Chris’ message with all of the distractions.  My first reaction after viewing this, was way to go Scott Monty and Ford Motor Company for leading the way.

I am not sure that is a fair assessment, but I think it’s incredibly important to be cognizant of the image you are portraying at ALL times.  What do you think?

Chris Barger speaks on General Motor\’s Social Media experience

Tags: 2009 MIMA Summit, Chris Barger, FLIP, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Scott Monty, Web Video