Tag Archives: arik hanson

Allan Schoenberg: My Twitter “Patient Zero”

Posted on by

Ever heard of a woman named Mary Mallon? Probably not. But if I said “Typhoid Mary” that might trigger some recognition. Mary Mallon was the index case for typhoid in the US in the early 1900s. She was a healthy carrier of the disease and spread it to at least 53 people before she was forcibly quarantined. Mary Mallon was the American typhoid epidemic’s Patient Zero.

For me, Allan Schoenberg played a similar role, but without the fever and malaise. I consider him to be my Twitter index case. (Stick with me here.)

I spent the first several months on Twitter not doing much. I followed a few people I knew from “real life” and a few who were into Georgia football. I didn’t even really think of it a professional networking medium at the onset. At some point, though, I caught the Twitter bug and from that point things changed dramatically. And I can trace that moment back to Allan.

It was about this time last year when I was working on putting together a photo book of pictures from my trip to Iceland. I tweeted about it and got a random @ reply from Allan commenting on how great Iceland was and how much he loved it when he had visited earlier in the year. I followed him back and checked out his profile, where I saw that he had a pretty sweet job as director of communications for CME Group. We continued to chat via Twitter throughout the next few weeks about everything from movies to beer (good beer) to the economic situation in Iceland.

Allan Schoenberg and Amy MengelAllan was my conduit to the Twitter PR and communications world. Recognizing that he was pretty interesting guy with an interesting job in my field, I figured that I’d probably enjoy following some of his other Twitter pals. I began looking to see who he was following and unabashedly started poaching his network. This led me to people like Mike Pilarz, Arik Hanson, Matt Batt and Lauren Fernandez. They led me to others like David Mullen, Kellye Crane, Chuck Hemann and Scott Hepburn. And it just kept proliferating.

Today, I consider Allan and that initial group tops among my trusted colleagues, confidants and advisors. In the year since that first tweet about Iceland, I’ve started this blog and my consulting business, founded Social Media Breakfast Tech Valley, and forged what I consider to be lifelong friendships as well as professional alliances with people from Twitter. I’ve had the opportunity to meet most of my closest Twitter friends in person, despite the fact that they all live in far-flung places. Allan even got me a tour of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange when I was visited last spring.

So in the spirit of those Bud Light “Real Men of Genius” ads (though Allan would rightly never drink Bud Light):

I salute you, Mr. Twitter Uber-connector Index Case of Networking Genius Guy. Thanks.

Whose your Twitter Patient Zero?

Preaching the social media gospel: How to attract converts

Posted on by

I had an interesting conversation at a PRSA event last night with three older members. All in their 50s, they were expressing their reticence to become involved with social media on a personal level because it’s “just too much.” They saw things like Facebook and Twitter as platforms that would just require more and more of their time. They talked about how it was already hard for them to keep up with e-mail. They lamented how their kids don’t have “real” relationships anymore; they simply text their friends instead of talking to them. Quite simply, they were doubters.

Social Media Cartoon

Putting on my social media evangelist hat, but tempering it with the recollection that I had many of the same fears when I started to dip my toes into social media, here’s what I told them:

1. Boundaries

It’s what you make of it. You can set your own personal boudaries for social media participation. If you join Twitter, let it be a real-time communications tool. If you follow 200 people, don’t feel as though you need to go back through and read every single tweet that’s come across the stream since you last logged on. Catch what’s important and what’s happening now, and don’t worry about missing things. The important stuff will resurface. You’ll zero in on those who add the most value to you. Avoid the noise.

2. Connection

Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn decreases the need for e-mail. I used to write multiple-paragraph e-mails to friends and family every couple of months. I recapped everything that had happened, and then waited for their response. With Facebook, we can now passively observe each other’s lives and know what’s going on without having to send those long e-mail missives. I can see that my cousin went on a trip to North Carolina and comment on a photo or two. I can post a quick message to my college friends’ pages and find out what they’re up to. On the professional side, I can see where my contacts are working and what they’re working on via LinkedIn. Social networking has actually decreased the time that I need to spend writing “catch-up” emails and increased the level of connectedness I feel with friends.

3. Control

You control what information you put out there. Facebook and Twitter don’t publish anything without you pushing that share button. You’re ultimately responsible for your own information. You can use privacy settings to control who sees it. But no one is forcing you to share any information that you don’t want to.

4. Relationships

It’s now possible to have real, meaningful relationships beyond geography. I explained to them how I’ve made real, honest-to-goodness friends solely via Twitter. Folks that I’ve now met in person and consider to be trusted mentors, like Allan Schoenberg, Arik Hanson or Shonali Burke. Social networking has also strengthened local relationships because it allows me to have more interactions with people. There may be only a handful of PRSA events I can make it to over the course of several months, but I interact with peers on Twitter nearly once a week, if not once a day, and each interaction reinforces those relationships.

I don’t know if I made any social media converts last night, but I feel I at least got them thinking. It’s easy to be skeptical of what’s unfamiliar. But being open to trying new methods of communication is what keeps us moving forward as a PR profession. The actual, specific social media platforms may come and go, but the fundamental concept of a more open, sharing and networked world is here to stay.

What would you have told them?

Cartoon via Intersection Consulting

A “Communications Conversation” with Arik Hanson

Posted on by
_arikhanson_-12k-avatarIf you read Arik Hanson’s blog, Communications Conversations, then you’ve probably enjoyed his series on “PR Rock Stars,” where he’s interviewed a variety of PR and communications professionals. I figured it was about time someone interviewed him for a change, and he graciously obliged. So, as Michael Scott would say, “Well, well, well… how the turntables…” Um, yeah.

You’ve interviewed some talented people in your PR Rock Star series on your blog. What’s your definition of a PR Rock Star?

AH: Contrary to popular belief, there’s no hard-and-fast definition. To date, it’s really just been a list of folks I’ve been big fans of or PR pros who are succeeding in their industry or niche. Typically, I also like to focus on folks tackling timely issues: Kelly Groehler of Best Buy using Twitter as a tool to further brand reputation; Rick Mahn at Land O’ Lakes showing us what a non-traditional rock star looks like; and LeeAnn Rasachak and Sarah Ryder at Select Comfort implementing social media strategies internally and externally to raise awareness and educate. Sorry folks, there’s really no “special sauce.” ;)

You spend a great deal of time mentoring communications professionals, not only online but also through your involvement in PRSA. Who have your mentors been and what are some of the most important lessons they’ve taught you?

AH: I happen to think your mentors don’t necessarily need to be more experienced than you. They don’t have to be 20-year PR vets. They don’t even have to be formalized relationships. But, they do have to provide value. And the best mentor/mentee relationships provide value for the mentor AND the mentee. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship. The mentor/mentee model is changing a bit–you’re starting to see that more. Younger folks “coaching up” to senior-level folks (especially in the social media/digital area). Some of the folks I’ve learned from along the way: Deborah Ely-Lawrence (now at Prime Therapeutics), Nicki Gibbs (former PR Rock Star), Katharine Kaboord, Joel Swanson, Rose McKinney, David Mullen, Connie Bensen, David Folkens and Candee Wolf just to name a few. And of course, I have a budding mentor/mentee relationship with you, Amy, that’s I’ve really enjoyed the last few months.

You’re a Twitter “power-user” in the sense that you really make use of the tool to meet people, engage in genuine conversation, share content and make connections. How do you describe Twitter’s usefulness to people who are just starting out and can’t quite get past the “What are you doing” banality?

AH: Good question. To be perfectly honest, I probably don’t do a very good job of articulating Twitter’s value to the “doubters” out there. I think of my brother, who’s always asking me why I invest so much time in this tool. What I tell him is simple. Three reasons: 1) I can meet folks I’d never have the chance to otherwise meet, 2) I can broaden my community exponentially in ways that just wasn’t possible before, and 3) I now have the opportunity to learn from experts and thought leaders from across the world. These are the same folks who may refer me to a potential job, send freelance work my way, or point me toward a volunteering opportunity. My post about the social media MBA was a little tongue-in-cheek, but I have learned about the equivalent of a mini-master’s degree this past year in the social media space thanks to my interactions online. What kind of price tag can you put on that? And along the way, I’ve made some good friends and expanded my circle of colleagues I can turn to for advice and counsel. Those are some pretty powerful reasons, don’t you think?

You’ve got a full time job at Fairview, you blog and consult on the side, your involved with PRSA and you’ve got a wife and two young kids. How do you effectively manage all of this? How do you balance family, work, community and your online activities?

AH: The short answer? I don’t. But, because I’m so passionate about PR and social media, it never really feels like work. So, if I’m writing a blog post at 1 am, it’s not painful. The key for me is focus. You really can spend a lot of time engaging with your community if you’re not careful. You need to be militant about focusing and using your time wisely. For me, that usually means hopping online once in the morning, once at lunch, once before I hit home and after the kids go to bed. I try to write my blog posts in chunks so I’m not writing throughout the week. Saturday afternoons are a good time for me. I can crank out 3-4 blog posts in an hour if I’m feeling especially productive. But, the balance word is very elusive. I’m not sure I’ll ever be the most balanced person. But, I do make sure I commit myself to work I’m passionate about so it never really feels like “work.”

You’re obviously very comfortable with social media from a personal standpoint: you have a great blog and an active Twitter presence. But you’ve admitted that your industry (healthcare) is slower to adopt these technologies. What are you doing to sell others on the value of social media as a communications tool? What would you say to skeptics in your organization or industry?

AH: Lately, I’ve been going with the “Well, just look what Mayo’s doing” argument. Seems lame, but that’s pretty powerful in the health care space–especially when the Mayo Clinic is right down the road in Rochester and they’re widely regarded as one of the better health care brands in the market (Lee Aase, who heads up social media at Mayo, was also just featured in a front-page article in the Star Tribune a few weeks ago, which helps). I just think social media is a very good fit for health care companies for a number of reasons. It’s a people industry and many of these tools focus on better connecting people to people. Also, why couldn’t health care organizations use social media tools as another customer service channel? I mean think of all the patient questions we could answer online–saving thousands upon millions of dollars in potential costs. Or what about using these tools to better enable our patients to share their stories–effectively furthering our brand for us? Like I said, just makes too much sense NOT to do it. Those are the arguments and examples I use. So far, the problem’s not been a lack of “want to” but instead it’s been a question of resources. But, that’s a different discussion ;)

What has been your proudest moment as a PR professional?

AH: I’ve won numerous awards, been recognized by my peers and been a part of very successful client projects, but you know what really gets me fired up? Watching my peers and colleagues succeed. For example, seeing my friend and PRSA colleague Jason Sprenger step up to the plate in a new job and take on a new PRSA leadership role; or watching my good friend Joel Swanson take on an agency leadership role and flat out kick ass for the last few years; or witnessing a couple budding rock stars like Jillian Froelich and Katharine Kaboord come into their own as PR professionals and really start to realize their full potential. Or watching you, Amy, start Social Media Breakfast from scratch in the Albany area and really fill a need for that community. That’s what excites me. I really enjoy helping others succeed. And watching them flourish.

Join me June 19 at Social Media Breakfast Tech Valley

Posted on by

Well, I had planned to do a “soft launch” of all the content for the inuagural Social Media Breakfast Tech Valley this week while Patrick Boegel and I scrambled to find a second sponsor. I set up the Facebook group, Twitter account, event registration page and a page on this site (see the SMB-TV link above) and figured I’d publish everything to test it out and then let it sit dormant until I nailed down a co-sponsor and was ready to start promoting.

Hah! Not so much. The registration site was quickly found out and within the first 24 hours of the registration site going live, almost half the seats are gone! Apparently there’s a lot of interest in the Capital Region in learning more about social media.

I’m truly excited to bring this event to Tech Valley. We have a trio of outstanding panelists lined up for the first event: Stuart Foster, Mike Germano and Rhea Drysdale are all extremely knowledgeable in the social media space and I’m sure they’ll give us lots to think about. It will also be great to meet and network with other social media enthusiasts in the area. I hope you’ll join us Friday, June 19, from 8-10 am at the BluStone Bistro in Colonie.

If you’re interested in attending, grab a seat now! They’re free, thanks to our sponsorship from All Over Albany, but seats are limited. Guess we’ll have to get a bigger room for SMB-TV #2!

*We’re still in need of a co-sponsor for this event! Please contact me if your organization is interested in partnering with us and co-sponsoring SMB-TV #1 with All Over Albany.

UPDATE: SUNY Cobleskill has agreed to not only sign-on as co-sponsor for SMB-TV#1, but they are also committing to being involved as a sponsor for SMB-TV#2. Thanks, SUNY Cobleskill!

Here’s my “I’d like to thank the Academy” speech: I’m very grateful to Arik Hanson for putting the bug in my ear and encouraging me to take this on. Thanks to Bryan Person, SMB founder, for offering his thoughts and advice on how to get this started in Tech Valley. Many thanks to Patrick Boegel for being a great sounding board and helping with the planning. I’m so appreciative of Greg & Mary at All Over Albany for their sponsorship and to our three panelists for agreeing to be SMB-TV guinea pigs. And I’m thankful to everyone who’s attending the event! Looking forward to the first of what I hope will be many great breakfasts!

This post is not about Oprah. Well, mostly not.

Posted on by

failwhale

…Beacuse I don’t really care about Oprah. Or Ashton. Or CNN. Twitter is going mainstream. The cool kids who were on it first are bent out of shape now. It’s like any trend – a small group starts it out, enough people notice so that it gets picked up and becomes mainstream, then the original trendsetters are suddenly upset that they’re no longer unique (see: “I liked Coldplay before they got all like, cool, and like, sold out and stuff.”)

I am not going to blog about Oprah adding Twitter to her Favorite Things and whether that’s good, bad or the end of the world. But lots of other communicators who I respect have weighed in, some very thougtfully.Some have their panties quite bunched about it, and some don’t really care. So for those of you who are interested, here’s a round up from my Google Reader as of 2:45 p.m. today:

From Ike Pigott at Media Bullseye:

“The Oprah Experiment”
Oprah built her empire of fans through traditional media channels. Most successful Twitter users built their networks organically. How will her network evolve? And will how will Twitter mine the user data that these power accounts create?

From Beth Harte at The Harte of Marketing:

“Let’s not forget celebs are marketers too”
Celebs make money. They can potentially use social media to make more money. Should they be exempt from the scrutiny that businesses face when dabbling in social media for marketing purposes?

From Ari B. Adler at Digital Pivot:

“Social Interaction Requires Being Social (and Interacting)”
Ashton and Oprah don’t get it. Twitter is a conversation, not a megaphone. It’s not about the numbers.

From Arik Hanson at Communications Conversations:

“It’s all about the numbers, right? RIGHT?
Social media is about numbers AND relationships. Number of followers has its place as a metric, but you have to build strong relationships, too.

From David at The Legends of Aerocles:

“@Oprah, Welcome to Twitter. Now please don’t break it. Why @Oprah and @aplusk don’t belong on Twitter”
Twitter is not for broadcasting. How can you possibly interact with 1 million followers? Why are you on Twitter if you’re not conversing?

From Lisa Barone at Outspoken Media:

“It’s not the recession, you just suck”
Stop talking about Oprah, dammit! Do something useful. Learn something. We’re wasting too much time on stuff that isn’t making us any money.

So there’s my Oprah/Ashton speedread. Let’s get on with our Fridays, shall we?