I was at lunch last week with a new friend and he asked me what is social media? I said to him it is a form of networking that is leveraged using social media tools online such at Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Linkedin and so on. Yes—all things that most of us know!
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When I began my education into the world of social media a few years ago, my beacon of expertise and guidence was the book I have spoken of often, “Groundswell”. In the book, Josh Bernoff and Christine Li talk about understanding social computing behaviours in order to be able to engage your target market and connect in a way that is in line with the goals that you plan to reach by implementing a digital strategy.
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In the last few days, “thought leadership and innovation” has been a discussion topic between myself and several different business people. It was first brought to my attention a few days ago by someone who passed on the assessment (from another business associate) that, after reviewing my blog posts, they felt I was not showcasing our business skills, expertise and brand offering because I was including full articles written by others below my daily thoughts. The reason I began this blog was to use the premise of our business name, SHARE, to share with people what I read.
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Hi Everyone,

Thank you for your ongoing support and for all the comments and connections that we are making with our readers. Linkedin groups and connections have been really great and we are so happy to hear from everyone regarding our posts. Keep it coming!

We would love to connect with you on Facebook and have added a fan box for BCAD Group on this blog. We want to build a community where we can have an ongoing dialog about the many ideas we write about on this blog and the issues we haven’t yet touched: your thoughts or whatever may be on your mind!

We want to know—Who Do You Think You Are Talking To?

Best Nicole

We want to hear your thoughts on how you feel about customer loyalty.

What are you doing to keep your current customers and let your dedication to customer service shine through when you gain new ones?
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The talk from Twitters critics is that it is cooling off—that it is not a viable source from which to engage and connect. The article that I am going to feature today, comes from Advertising Age and certainly gives a reason to second guess that particular viewpoint. Hey, it may be worth a second look if you have already written Twitter off.
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In light of the response that I have received from some of my Linkedin Group members about the posts that I have shared—regarding social media—there is still a discomfort in moving ahead for many companies and business people. There are many others that are diving in and can see that this is now the best way to get leverage with their customers in this new soft economy—preparing for the robust but different future. We know that if you create the right strategy to begin with (know what your goals are before you start) you can and will be successful. Better yet, focus on the target market that has the spending and decision making power. Yes…I’m talking about women. They use social media and spend a significant time online. They love to share information and they want to engage with the companies that will fulfill their needs and address their challenges (because they understand). And the end benefit is that your company will gain a brand evangelist and a repeat customer that spreads the word to others like wild fire!
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I have had an interesting discussion with one of my group members from Linkedin. Yesterday, I posted a blog article regarding IBM’s upcoming  social network—as a way to Share what I have to say with a professional audience and provide better exposure for our business bcad Group and our agency Share. For those that do not know Linkedin, it is a social networking community for professionals—where you can connect with business people and through those connections have access to their connections. It is a great way to create exposure for your business and your services. Gain new insights, network for knowledge and learn about other peoples experiences.
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This post comes indirectly through one of my dear friends and colleague, Theresa Stephen. As we are both New Yorkers, living in Toronto, Canada, we often share info about what is happening there— although we’re focused on different industries.
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Happy Earthday Everyone.  I have been talking about customer engagement since I began this blog.  For most brands the goal is to sustain continuous, ongoing relationships with customers.  Listening to and engaging with your consumers will allow you to actively be able to solve the challenges and concerns they have in their lives and fulfill those needs—bringing about change that will enhance their life. And in doing so, have them commit to an ongoing relationship with you. Better yet, they’ll share who you are—what you do and how YOU helped them—with others.
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