I hear you, and I know what you are talking about. The idea that a set of tools is something concrete and that I can show a CD (OK, maybe not anymore — but at least a screen doing something). If we can create the right methodologies to sell into the organizations and make them make sense and prove value, that is the next war to fight. Which is why I am getting tired of fighting definitions…

Thanks for the read!

No one owns social because it is not an initiative or a project, it is a new way of working. Thus, the whole Social Business is nothing more than the natural evolution of business into this new way of working — brought on by the societal and generational shift to become more social.

Thanks for saying it so clearly, and helping me understand it better… well said.

Thanks for this as well. I think, and I wrote about it before several times, that Feedback Management is the fourth pillar of CRM (in addition to Sales, Service, and Marketing and an essential component of SCRM. I am in between continuing the term EFM and simply refer to it as Feedback Management only — but I totally agree with you in concept.

It will be interesting indeed…

Thanks
Esteban

It will be interesting to see how the industry adapts as new channels are created in the future as well. As Social Media grows up, I think the value we can gain from it will also increase… especially if combined with great EFM tools.

And, you’re welcome for the visit and the read… I’ll be back.

-Nate

http://comblu.com/blogs/lumenatti/archive/2009/05/13/community-by-the-numbers-part-one.aspx

Here is my point. No one department owns social. It is a collective resource and provides collective insight across the entire business enterprise. Different people have different interests, so we should be opening up sCRM, creating feeds for a social operational structure…sure, this is harder to do than to propose. So, for marketers to be successful, they should begin with structuring a cross-functional team that shares everything. Start small and simple and grow from there. Social is a thread that should run through the entire enterprise rather than be a tool or a silo. Until this concept takes hold, social will remain with media and continue to be the shiny penny of choice…until the next one comes along to eclipse it. If this happens, we as business professionals will have squandered one of the greatest efficiency opportunities since Demming.

Thanks for the kudos. I did not take the bloody part as an insult – no worries

The toolbar is from Wibiya (http://www.wibiya.com) and it is a free, very cool tool… not sure if they are open to the public, I got it when it was in Beta.

I agree with you that SM is not the end state, just a way to get there. That is what I am working towards changing in the minds of people this year.

Thanks for the read!

Another note…LOVE the handy lower tool bar. Where/how did you get it?

Agree 100%, especially when you say that you have to figure out what to do when you get the connection / relationship. That is the key here… not establishing the connection via social channels, but what to do with it. What information to collect, how to use it, and what to do with the new information.

The business ability to do that, or not, is what is going to define their ultimate success at becoming social.

Thanks for the read!