Social Business Interaction

Given the scope of the online and brick-and-mortar companies , the question I wish to ask is "how do you make a company relevant and relatable to every single potential client on the planet?" This is a big question and a massive challenge to solve for.

     The good news is that the means by which we can support this challenge does exist, in part, with the smart use of social media and mobile technology applied with strategic partnerships, convincing content and purposeful engagement. There is no better way to engage a broad spectrum of audiences at a large scale (from one to one billion) than through social media and mobile technologies.

I’d like to offer a look into a few key areas that will help to guide efforts in addressing this challenge:

 Be Engaging!

     Working through answers to simple questions is simple, yet very important. You don't have to be a social media expert to develop intelligent and high-impacting strategies, as long as you work through this main question:

"What do you want people, potential or current clients, to know, feel and/or do as a result of interacting with your company and/or relevant online  content?"

Those working with Facebook may also use the following question:

"Why would someone care and why would they share your content?"

      Answering these questions is very important when we define our audiences, understand what they care about, and develop our content framework that relates to their personal interests, concerns and/or needs.

     It forces us to think about and appeal to the emotional drivers that inspire people to engage and take action on a daily basis. Every person will have a different entry point into the relationship with you and your company. Our challenge is to provide an environment that allows for each person to benefit and contribute in a meaningful way.

Build Partnerships

     It is important to have a strong and effective balance of strategic partnerships and relationships in place with companies like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google and even with agencies (PR, media, creative). In other words, BE THERE. Your online presence is one of the main ways you as a company can build relationships.

     Developing a structure that brings together people from each partner with well defined roles and responsibilities to contribute to the success of your business strategy and objectives is crucial. Each partner brings with them an important lens on audience and engagement opportunities supported by great data, insight and expertise that when pulled together into a uniform view, have enormous impact.

Will OS X Mavericks be "Better Than Ever?"

   

 At first glance, Mavericks looks much like the previous version, but Apple's designers are clearly attempting to move away from the highly detailed UI ornamentation and are turning their focus more toward actual content. We've already seen this approach in the way Apple has gradually evolved apps like QuickTime, which started off with a heavily bordered window around the video that got thinner and thinner over time, to the point that now there are no more borders at all -- just the video you're watching and playback controls that appear on mouse-over, then disappear.

With that design minimalism in mind, all of the built-in apps in Mavericks -- everything from Safari, to Mail, to FaceTime, Messages, Calendar and Notes -- have adopted standard OS X interface elements, ditching of the leather/metal/paper backgrounds that users have grown accustomed to.

The move to less UI ornamentation isn't a surprise for most users, given Apple design chief Jony Ive's penchant for minimalism when it comes to hardware (and he's now in charge of software design). But Mavericks does offer some delights that users should appreciate.

Social Media in the Ministry

Today I was able to talk with Julie Williquette, a secretary working at Baptist World Mission. Baptist World Mission is a well-known mission agency serving over 300 missionaries worldwide. Julie's main job is to assist two field directors serving missionaries in Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, and much of Europe. She uses Social Media everyday and enjoys getting to connect with people all over the world. I got to ask Julie a few questions about her uses of Social Media in the ministry.

Q: How do YOU use Social Media and technology for religious purposes?
A: "I use Facebook every day as a means of sharing prayer requests with missionaries around the world. The missionary friends share their requests with me and I write them down in my prayer journal and pray over the requests every week. I then Facebook message the missionaries for request updates from time to time. I also use Social Media for my administrator at work (who does not have his own Facebook, but desires to know missionaries’ “happenings). I am in the process of setting up a  Facebook account for my church’s young married Sunday school class, so that we can a means of communicating and keeping up with each other, activities, prayer requests, etc."

Q: How is Social Media a good thing when used for religious organizations?

A. "Religious organizations can definitely use Social Media for sharing prayer requests, organizational activities/projects, and other general information with one another. It’s fast and easy, rather than trying to look up phone numbers and taking the time to call each other."

Q: How could Social Media be a bad thing for an organization promoting the Gospel?

A: "Wrong things could be written and shared socially…things like unkind opinions, rudeness and lack of respect for other’s thoughts/posts, and plain gossip. These things can harm the testimony of Christ and His church."

Q: How Can Social Media potentially help a religious organization generate higher traffic on a website or blog?
A: "By allowing others in to see the website or blog, word can spread and others may want to share it as well. This may cause higher traffic (more popularity)."