Welcome to the human network

Nice message from Cisco - I don't often repeat ads here, but this one speaks to The Power of the Network - that the internet is about connecting people.
We start with our social graph (our friends, family, peers) and through them discover people who interest us, people we come to trust and through them we discover content they trust and people they trust. And the less silo'd the metadata (the more easily and readily we share) the easier it becomes to connect with our communities of purpose - groups of people who care about what we care about right now.
That's what I'm thinking when I'm watching this. How about you?

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The Power in context

Dr Chris Thorpe has seen me present a couple times - once in New York and on another occasion in London.

We've got to know each other somewhat. In fact we've got to trust each other, so much so that he's agreed to join a network of consultants I'm bringing together who share a vision of the networked world.

I tell you this by way of disclosure because he's just published an exceptionally kind review of my book The Power of the Network.

"His insight into the current landscape... is fantastic and from it he provides a stunning vantage point into the networked world which is building minute by minute, connection by connection, conversation by conversation around us. For people outside of this networked world this vantage point could quite easily be daunting, even vertiginous. However through examples, quotes from other thought leaders and a very good and not overdone smattering of illustrative case studies he makes things simple. This is done without making things over simplified though, and the book can almost be seen as a way of talking someone from old marketing/advertising off the ledge they may currently be finding themselves on."

Chris has also identified some of the poetry that I've strived for in my writing from time to time.

"Themes running throughout the book often have a recurring linguistic motif... This makes the book almost like a piece of music where themes will come in and out of focus but remind you of their presence... it feels very well structured although in essence it is a collection of semi-connected essays."

It's something the thoroughly excellent Ted Shelton, also referred to when we met earlier this week.

And that's very interesting to me - and I hope to you.





But what you may find even more interesting is his discussion of the merits of reading the same words you can discover digitally, on this blog, in the context of a printed book - and how the print experience compares with the audio one (in Seth Godin's Tribe download).

Those who would replace our libraries with e-readers and kindles may do well to note.

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List of lists

Ok, well there's just two.

I know some people hate this kind of self congratulatory stuff. But for those who like a little context with their blog...

FasterFuture is nestling in the top 30 Marketing blogs in the UK (number 23 at present).

And it's been named in the top 20 PR blogs on the planet. Which is nice. We're at number 17.

Someone has to come up with a list of blogs which deal with convergence of marketing/advertising/pr/editorial/production.... er the power of the network and it's impact. Ok, that may be something of a niche...

Big questions for social media strategy

Tom's updated The Building Blocks of Social Media Strategy diagram after a first round of feedback.

It's getting nice and simple. You can judge if its getting clearer for that.

I've got a few broadbrush questions to throw into the pot. I have in mind some answers - but I'd rather raise them first before joining in with my own responses.

Here's some things we might consider:

• Let's think about the actions in each case. Perhaps this will help clarify the language? What is it that must be done to make the strategy reality - element by element?

• And to help that, let's maybe consider the Purpose of this project. Why are we doing this? What wrong are we trying to correct? Are we fed up of the smoke and mirrors and misdirection that many are using in the name of social media? Are we attempting to invent a language to describe a new set of actions?

• I thought it may be interesting to look at jobs, terms and processes which emerged as a result of the printing press (for a revolution of similar scale to the arrival of the networked world) and map that on to this project? (image courtesy)
  

For example there were scribes before and printers after. How would those people have started describing what they had to do to fulfil the strategic change? You'll be able to think of numerous other post-printing press roles and processesn - and results of these. How could that approach apply to mapping social media strategy?

Biggest question really is, 'the why,' though.

For example, if this is a project to reassure frightened people the result will be very different from one which is about evangelizing the truth - and different again from one driven by a desire to provide a toolkit for those ready to make fundamental change.

• And then there's the scope.

Is this a 6-24month transitional model (to help broadcast mindset businesses make their move to the networked world) or a 2-100 year transformational model taking account of the fact that the network will disrupt where-ever it touches and that the eighth mass media is upon us?

Big questions. And perhaps only answered by more than one model?

Why new measures are so critical in social media

The P2PR community we've started over here is all about changing the way things are done - shifting broadcast modes of thought, delivery and measurement to networked ones.

This is why I think changing the way things are measured is so critical to success:



Love to hear what you think needs to change.

Watch more P2PR videos here (including Jamie ranting about what's wrong with the way social media owners treat brands).

Changing perceptions about the mobile society

This man's writing changed my life. Now he's turned his attention to changing Microsoft's perception of mobile in The Glittering Allure of the Mobile Society.

Give him half an hour and he'll change yours.

Download the white paper now.

Alan Moore is one of the key inspirations behind my book The Power of the Network, and, I'm proud to say, a very good friend.

Image courtesy

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Social Media: It's educational

One of the reasons I love social media is its ability to reveal the power of the network.

That power is there for anyone to discover. But is only truly appreciated by those who participate.

This is a key distinction. There are those who believe they can use social media and those who understand they can participate in it.

The first group, the users, stand back from it. And from afar they order its deployment. These are the people who - no matter how much they may protest - do not really understand it. (Picture courtesy)

This first group see social media as just another channel. They see it as another way to extend reach, to gather eyeballs. They like their measures in the thousands and millions.

They neglect a simple truth. The only measure that really counts is the action that results; a sale, a new believer, a new organisation, a better mousetrap. .

Theirs is the world of never mind the quality, feel the bandwidth.

You'll know you are in group 1 if you blog but don't allow comments, if you broadcast an rss feed into Twitter but follow no one, if you stuff videos on to Youtube but don't respond to comments or video responses. If you spam 'your friends' on Facebook.

Sure, you're using social media. You're not participating in it though.

The second group are those who genuinely benefit from social media. 
They learn as they do.

• Where group 1 says Use Social Media, we say Participate.
• Where group 1 asks how many were exposed to a message, we ask what action resulted ( how was a community of purpose galvanized to act?)
• Where group 1 stands back to witness the power of the network, group 2 is partipating in it.
  

Like I say, one of the reasons I love social media is for its ability to adapt people, brands and organizations to the networked world.

Those who would only witness are missing out on learning so much.

They aren't taking part in a conversation.

As I've said before, the act of participating raises and answers questions about control and ownership - a process which makes brands and orgs better adapted to the connected world.

This does not happen if you and your people simply stand back and count the beans.

This time, you really do have to be in it to win it.

How you can double the value of our network

One extra person added to a network doubles its value. That's a truth revealed by Reed's Law; group forming network theory.

I also find that inspiring. It means if I ever feel like I'm wading through a quagmire of resistance to change, I know that adding one more connection can literally redouble my network's efforts and effectiveness.

We are all made greater by the sum of our connections - all of us. Even the newest, loosest connection.

So, with all that in mind, who would you like to introduce to this network WE share?

Who doesn't yet know they they need to know us?

I'd love to hear your suggestions - either privately via email or publicly by posting below.

Ideally it'll be someone you know because the best five suggestions will be rewarded with two copies of my book The Power of the Network.

The idea is you get to keep one for yourself and one to pass on to the person you've suggested needs connecting to our network.

If you've already got The Power of the Network, great (and thanks!) you'll have two copies to pass one.

I hope handing over a tangible real-world book will act as a physical conversation starter for you - a social object around which your introduction to the network can begin.

Maybe you'll see this as something interesting we can do together? I hope so. And if so, please share.

The closing date for this is December 31, 2008.

• By the way, I'm presenting at Mobile Content in London today - talking about Mobile's role in the eighth mass media at 9am (The Big Question slot) and on a panel in the afternoon at 4.10p. Come and say hi if you get the chance.

Brando-Digital: What, How, Why?

Many of you will by now know I work for Brando-Digital. And when our site goes live (in a few short days now) you'll find more defining, and refining, the following there.

But in the meantime, I'd be really greatful if you'd take a look at this slidedeck (just five slides in total - and just three key ones), and let me know what you think.

Brando Digital: What we do

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: media digital)

What I've tried to do in this deck is really simplify what we're about. Collectively we've been working on our service offering (we're a full service social media outfit with everything from simple online PR to board-level strategic advice on offer and pretty much all stations in between; viral, blogger outreach, engagement strategies etc).

That's the strategic 'What' side covered.

We've also got the tactical stuff nailed (the How).

But the way we've arrived at both is by discovering our 'Why' first. Most businesses either forget or never bother working out for themselves why they are in business - other than 'to make money'. A shame, because it's more important than strategy. It's what defines your strategy.

What gets you out of bed in the morning, what do you want to do to change the world, what's wrong and needs fixing? These are the kind of questions that can tease out your 'Why'.

It's what gives a business its purpose.

Mark Earls always likes to dig this out of people and organisations and I follow his lead in this. In fact what I'm working towards is a combination of Mark's Herd thinking and my own communities of purpose. A double-purpose whammy!

I hope the result is compelling. I believe in it.

Our purpose is to bring people together around things they care about - in communities of purpose. We want to do that because communities of purpose create great value for everyone involved. They find each other, talk to each other and act together to create change that matters to them.

And because we believe that's important, we think that makes us better at delivering our tactics and creating our strategy - because all of it grows from our Why, to our Purpose. There is a reason we do everything we do - and it goes beyond money.

So, maybe now go take another look at that slidedeck? Tell me what you think?

Over the coming weeks, through our Brando-Digital website, you'll come to discover the rest of the team, their take on all this (the above is entirely my own interpretation, not an official nailed down, it shall-be-for-all-time mission statement or similar) and our approach to opening silos and sharing - to engaging the power of the network in the way we work and in who we are.

BONUS LINK: The Social Media Play Book.

Mums excercise the power of the network

Oh dear. Motrin upsets its customers. (via David Armano)
On the plus side, once upon a time they'd have had to wait for next quarter's figures to find out how badly they went wrong. Now the feedback is instant.

The Power of the Network's growing network...

The Power of the Network - now in it's second, 100-page extended, edition is slowly but surely forming into just the kind of social object I hoped it would become: an interesting thing people can talk about together - their conversations creating new ideas, action and value.

The new version's chapters are as follows:

1. The Death of Death
2. Don't Just Witness the Network (adapting to survive)
3. How to Go Viral
4. Communities of Purpose
5. Advertising & Marketing in the 21st Century
6. We're All Publisher's Now - The user is the destination
7. It's Not How Famous You Are - It's How Relevant
8. Digital Identity and the Long Tail
9. Why Media is the New Business Ecology
10. We Are the Eighth Mass Media
11. Hail To the Chief Node
12. How We Are Made Great






Review copies are either in the hands of or on the way to the following. If you 'd like to join the list, just drop me an email with details of your blog and your postal address.

If you've read, reviewed it, shared it or would just like to be included in the following list please let me know via comments or email. Thanks

The Power of the Network's Network (so far).

• Stowe Boyd
  
• Alan Moore
• Clay Shirky
• Neville Hobson
• Anjali Ramachandran
• Jonathan Macdonald
• Dan Thornton
• Gerd Leonhard
• Peggy Anne Salz
  
• Luke Razzell
• Mark Earls
• David Armnano
  
• Eaon Pritchard
• Paula White
• Michael Leis
  
• Alistair Crane
  
• Steven Ming Yeow
  
• Angela Wilson
  
• Roger Kondrat
• Neil Perkin
• Richard Marshall
• Matt Alder
• C Enrique Ortiz
  
• You?
  

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