Taking the “second screen” beyond television

The “second screen” is gaining momentum.

Watching television, once the epitome of passive media consumption, has become an interactive activity. Instead of sinking deeper and deeper into the sofa, people are sitting forward, smartphone or tablet in hand, finding engaging content related to what they’re watching and conversing with other fans of the same show.

This week and next, the producers of the ABC series Revenge are planning a to entice people to watch the last to episodes of the season when they are aired, rather than catching it later on DVR or online, by offering a stream of activities that will be made available through the… Read More »

Research is at the heart of successful social media training

This is the third installment in a series on social media training

The best social media training effort is one that has been tailored to your organization’s requirements. Off-the-shelf training programs may cover the basics, but the basics will get you only so far. The payoff can be huge if you invest the time and effort to get the information you need to make sure your training addresses the unique circumstances of your company—and every company has unique circumstances!

That’s why research is the most important phase of the training development process.

What you need to know

Everything from the content of your training to the… Read More »

The need to be vigilant with contractors isn’t unique to social media

Every now and then I read or hear something that leaves me shaking my head in dismay. That happened today when reading a piece on Search Engine Watch titled, Top 5 Reasons Why SMBs Should Fear Social Media.

Aside from the link-bait headline, it was the last item that led to my dismay. Under the label, “Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations Agencies That Have Hung a Social Media Shingle,” author Tim Judd writes…

It doesn’t mean they understand content that engages, promotes, or converts prospects to customers. “There are very few experts in social media,” (Killer Facebook Ads author Marty) Weintraub said. “It takes a lot of…

Read More »

FIR Interview: Michael Gale and Jacklyn Allgayer of The PulsePoint Group

Companies that fully embrace social engagement are experiencing four times greater business impact than less-engaged companies, according to a new study conducted by PulsePoint Group, an Austin, Texas and Los Angeles,California-based management and digital consulting firm.

The study, conducted in collaboration with The Economist Intelligence Unit, involved interviews with hundreds of CEOs. The results led to the identification of six types of socially engaged enterprises and offers insights for organizations that want to assess their own social engagement against their peers. According to the study, “The Economics of the Socially… Read More »

Franchisee staff: the forgotten social media audience

One of the participants in an internal social media workshop I taught in Chicago last week raised an interesting question. He worked in employee communications for a nationally-recognized auto service brand and wondered about the use of internal social media among franchisees.

It’s not unusual for franchise operations to set up extranets that let them establish communication with franchise owners. It just makes sense to distribute new pricing information and marketing materials digitally, and to answer questions asynchronously; it can reduce calls to the call center. Companies like Burger King and Ben & Jerry’s have set up just such… Read More »

Getting buy-in for social media training

This is the second in a series of posts on social media training for employees

A new multi-dimensional training program for all employees probably won’t excite most budget-conscious executives. One that on first glance focuses employee attention on Facebook and blogs is likely to inspire even less enthusiasm. How do you get past those initial objetions to build support for a social media training effort?

There are three fundamental approaches to take in gaining buy-in:

• Cite internal research
• Appeal to the leader’s interests
• Demonstrate the risks in not training employees

Cite internal research

You need to undertake some internal… Read More »

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