In all of the hubbub last week (see blog titled Project Break-through), I failed to write about an event we had last Tuesday. It was Virtual Content World and it was a ‘virtual event’ attended by roughly 1100 Open Text customers. We had staff members manning the virtual booths and customers were invited to chat about what was on their mind. If a customer had a specific issue, the chat could be conducted privately, or if there was a more universal question, the entire group could see the dialogue. There was an Exhibit Floor, an Auditorium for the keynote speakers and a Lounge for more casual interactions.
Have you ever attended or hosted a virtual event? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts on how it went.
Here are some observations on how I think we could improve ours.
1. We used a recording from our live event (Content World) for our Chairman of the Board as our kick-off keynote. I would recommend against that in the future. Because the talk was recorded, our Chairman referred to things that weren’t relevant to the virtual event – upcoming speakers, demo-pods, etc. Plus the timing wasn’t exactly right so his talk ran over by 3 minutes, making everyone late to the next speaker.
2. We had several different ‘rooms’. The Exhibit Hall had a number of booths and the lounge had several folks ‘manning’ it and I had trouble figuring out where the subject matter experts would be. I am interested in your feedback – should virtual events have virtual walls, to simulate the brick and mortar environment? Or should we rethink the space in virtual events?
3. The screen wasn’t intuitively sized. The chat ran off the page for me and there was no way to scroll. I checked my screen resolutions (1024 x 768) and I couldn’t find anything in the FAQs for how to fix it. After contacting support, I learned that you could drag and drop the chat anywhere on the page and that worked. But it would have been more user-friendly to size the screen such that the chat appeared without issue.
All in all, I thought it was a great event. The interaction was superb, the technology appeared solid and the agenda topics were well received.
What is your experience with virtual events? I would love to compare notes.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Project Break-through
I am working on a number of projects at Open Text but none are as challenging as our attempt to revolutionize the customer experience. What does that mean? It’s about providing the right content to the right person at the right time. What does that mean? It’s the blueprint for holistic, engaging customer experiences that weave people, process, and content together in a way that fosters a true partnership with our customers. What does that mean?
Ah, you are starting to understand my problem. This is a great project that will change the way we interact with customers, partners, prospects, etc. but it is hard to define and since we are still lacking concrete deliverables to point people to (though more are being produced every day), it is hard to get everyone behind a common rallying cry.
And for this project, this week was definitely filled with some highs and lows. I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice to say, we had a hard fought meeting on Wednesday where we tried to gain consensus from a very large group about our action plan. Following the meeting, there was a fair bit of dissension and we were forced to re-examine what we were trying to accomplish and how we could get there.
After venting and perhaps dropping a few curse words (not me!?!), I went for a run to clear my head. And, as always, I am amazed at the clarity that can be gained by banging your feet on the pavement. We came up with a new plan. We presented it to the CMO and got a thumbs-up. Then I started the calling campaign. I called all of the key stakeholders to get their buy-in for the new plan before I issued a note to the larger team. I felt like that was important because (1) I truly valued their input and I wanted to make sure our new plan was feasible and (2) I didn’t want a stakeholder to be caught off-guard by an e-mail to a larger group about something this significant. Always better to spend a ½ day socializing something than to have your key partners surprised.
Then we rolled out the new idea (which is much better than the original plan, by the way).
Late Friday night, I got an e-mail from one of the key stakeholders. She was writing to tell me that she likes the new plan and (to quote her exactly) “it has got me rethinking how we deliver product … assets.” OMG. There are no words to describe how much that e-mail meant. This project has been so challenging. So many people just don’t “get it” and I have been really struggling to explain it in terms that resonate. We aren’t there yet, and we still need to produce tangible assets to truly show people what we are driving towards, but one of our key stakeholders gets it. And she is going to re-think the way she approaches her deliverables! That is great! It might not change the world, but the small victories are worth celebrating. So I am doing a Happy Dance and I am re-energized to take on the next sticky meeting.
Ah, you are starting to understand my problem. This is a great project that will change the way we interact with customers, partners, prospects, etc. but it is hard to define and since we are still lacking concrete deliverables to point people to (though more are being produced every day), it is hard to get everyone behind a common rallying cry.
And for this project, this week was definitely filled with some highs and lows. I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice to say, we had a hard fought meeting on Wednesday where we tried to gain consensus from a very large group about our action plan. Following the meeting, there was a fair bit of dissension and we were forced to re-examine what we were trying to accomplish and how we could get there.
After venting and perhaps dropping a few curse words (not me!?!), I went for a run to clear my head. And, as always, I am amazed at the clarity that can be gained by banging your feet on the pavement. We came up with a new plan. We presented it to the CMO and got a thumbs-up. Then I started the calling campaign. I called all of the key stakeholders to get their buy-in for the new plan before I issued a note to the larger team. I felt like that was important because (1) I truly valued their input and I wanted to make sure our new plan was feasible and (2) I didn’t want a stakeholder to be caught off-guard by an e-mail to a larger group about something this significant. Always better to spend a ½ day socializing something than to have your key partners surprised.
Then we rolled out the new idea (which is much better than the original plan, by the way).
Late Friday night, I got an e-mail from one of the key stakeholders. She was writing to tell me that she likes the new plan and (to quote her exactly) “it has got me rethinking how we deliver product … assets.” OMG. There are no words to describe how much that e-mail meant. This project has been so challenging. So many people just don’t “get it” and I have been really struggling to explain it in terms that resonate. We aren’t there yet, and we still need to produce tangible assets to truly show people what we are driving towards, but one of our key stakeholders gets it. And she is going to re-think the way she approaches her deliverables! That is great! It might not change the world, but the small victories are worth celebrating. So I am doing a Happy Dance and I am re-energized to take on the next sticky meeting.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Afraid of Twitter
Okay, I will admit it. I am afraid of Twitter. I have never Tweeted or Retweeted or taken a Twitpic. I am not even sure I am using the terminology right. But I have to jump on the bandwagon. If I am going to work for a company that sells Social Media software, I need to be a user. So I am in the process of getting my Twitter account sorted out (I signed up ages ago and have now forgotten all of my login information.)
Here is why I am afraid of Twitter.
1. I am not that interesting. Lance Armstrong has a tremendous following on Twitter and he is an interesting guy. Cancer survivor, Tour de France winner, Advocate – he has done cool things and does more cool things every day. He meets with Senators and Cancer Researchers and Celebrities. Me – not so much.
2. If I do have something to say, I doubt I can get it out in 140 characters. I am loud (sometimes obnoxious) and I talk a lot. I am not witty and succinct. I prefer long winded and funny.
3. My followers will be disappointed. If random person, or heaven forbid an industry peer or analyst, wants to follow me, I am afraid that after a week, they will say “BOORRRRIIINNGG” to my tweets. Although I did find a stat on Wikipedia that says that 40.55% of tweets are ‘pointless babble’ so at least I will be in good company.
But the most serious reason why I am afraid of Twitter is that I won’t represent the brand effectively – either the Open Text brand or my personal ‘Kristin Runyan’ brand. Then again, no one ever learned by sitting on the sidelines. I am jumping in. Tomorrow – or as soon as the Twitter Support desk fixes my account. By the end of the week, at the latest. No really, I mean it.
Here is why I am afraid of Twitter.
1. I am not that interesting. Lance Armstrong has a tremendous following on Twitter and he is an interesting guy. Cancer survivor, Tour de France winner, Advocate – he has done cool things and does more cool things every day. He meets with Senators and Cancer Researchers and Celebrities. Me – not so much.
2. If I do have something to say, I doubt I can get it out in 140 characters. I am loud (sometimes obnoxious) and I talk a lot. I am not witty and succinct. I prefer long winded and funny.
3. My followers will be disappointed. If random person, or heaven forbid an industry peer or analyst, wants to follow me, I am afraid that after a week, they will say “BOORRRRIIINNGG” to my tweets. Although I did find a stat on Wikipedia that says that 40.55% of tweets are ‘pointless babble’ so at least I will be in good company.
But the most serious reason why I am afraid of Twitter is that I won’t represent the brand effectively – either the Open Text brand or my personal ‘Kristin Runyan’ brand. Then again, no one ever learned by sitting on the sidelines. I am jumping in. Tomorrow – or as soon as the Twitter Support desk fixes my account. By the end of the week, at the latest. No really, I mean it.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Stelter Success - Using Social Media to help your customers
Social Media is a bit like the Pet Rock of the 70s. Everyone wants one, but few know quite what to do with it. We have an example of a customer who has found the perfect niche for their social media application and they have created a podcast detailing their story.
The Stelter Company has found a way to empower their customers with Social Media. They serve a non-profit audience, which is typically very thinly staffed with challenging and noble goals. Through a partnership with Open Text, Stelter provides their customers with a forum for sharing best practices, research and fresh ideas.
Stelter has achieved what so many companies are looking for – a way to use social media to help their customers be more effective. And that kind of karma always comes back to you.
Listen to the podcast to learn more.
The Stelter Company has found a way to empower their customers with Social Media. They serve a non-profit audience, which is typically very thinly staffed with challenging and noble goals. Through a partnership with Open Text, Stelter provides their customers with a forum for sharing best practices, research and fresh ideas.
Stelter has achieved what so many companies are looking for – a way to use social media to help their customers be more effective. And that kind of karma always comes back to you.
Listen to the podcast to learn more.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Why Marketing Drives IT Crazy
I have been in Marketing nearly my whole career, but in a past life, I am certain that I suffered in IT because I definitely have a soft spot for those “1s and 0s” guys.
In most organizations, Marketing approaches projects like a letter to Santa. “I want this and that and oooo, one of those too.” “And I want it black, no blue, no red.” “And can you add a racing stripe?” “I don’t care how it works, just make it fly…and sail…and run…and swim.” Unfortunately IT does not have an uber-efficient magical workshop filled with elves and free from any time and budget limitations.
This is where I tend to enter the scene. For the fourth consecutive company, I am the go-between for Marketing and IT. I try (to varying degrees of success) to prioritize the massive number of requests coming into IT in a logical, reasonable (and revenue generating) order. And, in doing so, I endear myself to IT and become viewed as a roadblock in Marketing. But I am okay with that and I will tell you why.
In the absence of someone like me, one of two things usually happens - Someone has to prioritize so if the business users don’t do it, IT will. And they may not prioritize using the same criteria that the business would – Operational Efficiency projects move up, Brand projects move down and if there is a cool technology that a developer is dying to play with, that trumps all. Mind you, they are not trying to slow progress, quite to the contrary. But in the absence of direction, people will work on what they want to work on.
The second scenario that occurs when IT is provided no prioritization is that lots of things get done but only half way. Suzi needs a micro-site, throw that up. Bill wants an e-commerce application, just link to an open source app and move on. Jim wants lead qualification software, just turn it up but don’t integrate it. So you end up with boxes marked ‘complete’ on a flow chart but nothing works together and your infrastructure is a patchwork of point activities that cannot be stitched together.
Sound familiar? We Marketers love to dream and we want our great ideas implemented tomorrow. That’s who we are and we shouldn’t be ashamed. Just like all good sales people have a bit of ADD, all Marketers should dream and dream big. Just make sure you assign an elf that looks at the wish list before you enter the workshop. We do not want to create anything that end up in the land of misfit toys.
In most organizations, Marketing approaches projects like a letter to Santa. “I want this and that and oooo, one of those too.” “And I want it black, no blue, no red.” “And can you add a racing stripe?” “I don’t care how it works, just make it fly…and sail…and run…and swim.” Unfortunately IT does not have an uber-efficient magical workshop filled with elves and free from any time and budget limitations.
This is where I tend to enter the scene. For the fourth consecutive company, I am the go-between for Marketing and IT. I try (to varying degrees of success) to prioritize the massive number of requests coming into IT in a logical, reasonable (and revenue generating) order. And, in doing so, I endear myself to IT and become viewed as a roadblock in Marketing. But I am okay with that and I will tell you why.
In the absence of someone like me, one of two things usually happens - Someone has to prioritize so if the business users don’t do it, IT will. And they may not prioritize using the same criteria that the business would – Operational Efficiency projects move up, Brand projects move down and if there is a cool technology that a developer is dying to play with, that trumps all. Mind you, they are not trying to slow progress, quite to the contrary. But in the absence of direction, people will work on what they want to work on.
The second scenario that occurs when IT is provided no prioritization is that lots of things get done but only half way. Suzi needs a micro-site, throw that up. Bill wants an e-commerce application, just link to an open source app and move on. Jim wants lead qualification software, just turn it up but don’t integrate it. So you end up with boxes marked ‘complete’ on a flow chart but nothing works together and your infrastructure is a patchwork of point activities that cannot be stitched together.
Sound familiar? We Marketers love to dream and we want our great ideas implemented tomorrow. That’s who we are and we shouldn’t be ashamed. Just like all good sales people have a bit of ADD, all Marketers should dream and dream big. Just make sure you assign an elf that looks at the wish list before you enter the workshop. We do not want to create anything that end up in the land of misfit toys.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Web Marketing - New Years Resolutions
It’s that time again – time to make New Year’s Resolutions. You know - those promises that you make to yourself to kick a bad habit or start a healthy habit. Sometimes these are life-changing proclamations, but more often, they are forgotten by February.
I joke that my New Years Resolution is to not start smoking. I don’t smoke now and the evidence is pretty compelling against starting, so I feel like that is a safe promise. I am very confident I will succeed. But that isn’t really capturing the spirit of the Resolution. It is really about using the changing of the calendar as a catalyst to be better. And that is noble.
So what can we do better on our web sites? The list is probably so long that it is overwhelming. I am going to commit, via this public blog, to 3 initiatives and associated deadlines. I want you to keep me honest and I will report back on status.
1. I will commit to writing 104 blogs in 2010. That is 2 per week, but there might be weeks when I can only do one and weeks where I do three so the total number is what I am going for.
2. We have identified 3 sections on our website to be revised. I want them to be live in two week intervals, starting 2/1/2010, 2/15/2010 and 3/1/2010. We are hoping that the section revisions will unlock a formula for over-hauling our content, so I will update you on that progress as well.
3. Delivering a Community Site strategy to the business. We have communities run-amok, which will be the topic of a future blog post and I want to help the organization by defining a structure for our communities. If it is successful, I will share it with this audience as well.
Those are my commitments. Do you want to share yours? I would love to hear what you are trying to tackle in the coming months. And please, don’t start smoking. I hear it’s a hard habit to kick.
I joke that my New Years Resolution is to not start smoking. I don’t smoke now and the evidence is pretty compelling against starting, so I feel like that is a safe promise. I am very confident I will succeed. But that isn’t really capturing the spirit of the Resolution. It is really about using the changing of the calendar as a catalyst to be better. And that is noble.
So what can we do better on our web sites? The list is probably so long that it is overwhelming. I am going to commit, via this public blog, to 3 initiatives and associated deadlines. I want you to keep me honest and I will report back on status.
1. I will commit to writing 104 blogs in 2010. That is 2 per week, but there might be weeks when I can only do one and weeks where I do three so the total number is what I am going for.
2. We have identified 3 sections on our website to be revised. I want them to be live in two week intervals, starting 2/1/2010, 2/15/2010 and 3/1/2010. We are hoping that the section revisions will unlock a formula for over-hauling our content, so I will update you on that progress as well.
3. Delivering a Community Site strategy to the business. We have communities run-amok, which will be the topic of a future blog post and I want to help the organization by defining a structure for our communities. If it is successful, I will share it with this audience as well.
Those are my commitments. Do you want to share yours? I would love to hear what you are trying to tackle in the coming months. And please, don’t start smoking. I hear it’s a hard habit to kick.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
