Timi will share… | Social Business Strategy

…analysis on social business, interactive media, games, e-democracy, poetry, food, passions

February 17, 2012 • 5:01 pm 0

Weekend reads: On social business maturity, content marketing, blogging and revolutions

I must admit that my heart skips a beat whenever interesting articles find their way to me. The end of the work week has brought some good catch on social business maturity, the crucial role of content marketing and engagement, and the ultimate ROI of social media, in particular, blogging — changing behaviours — , which in this case, contributed to a revolution.

The posts on engagement and content marketing describe exactly my recommendations to two clients of mine this week. Once you go social (and it’s no longer a question of if, but how), it’s a continuous effort. It’s not like advertising with a start and end date. It’s about feeding your network and engaging with them, which means, you must think in terms of increments, of addressing recognised needs or opportunities, but always, with the end goal of mind.

Anyhow, looking forward to reading these posts this weekend.  Hopefully I’ll be able to do that in between trying to teach my just-turned toddler to drink from a cup (even just drinking more would be a good acceptance criteria already), doing my taxes, and playing Skyrim (fingers crossed). Enjoy!

  • Content: The New Marketing Equation by Altimeter Group Network on SlideShare – This is a presentation of their latest report. I like this as it once again underscores how content marketing within the social business framework is NOT advertising. It’s not about one-off campaigns.  Real engagement needs continuous investment.  On their slideshare description: “Content marketing requires a shift in company culture, resources, budgets, partners and strategy. Rebalancing is critical to achieve these goals. The choice is whether to rebalance now, or later when the battle for attention may become even more difficult than it currently is.”
  • Jeremiah Owyang weighs in on the above report on his blog: Beyond Tools, Marketers Must Focus on Content
  • So does Brian Solis in a more elaborate post: Report: Content and the New Marketing Equation

Filed under: Digital worlds, e-democracy, Politics, Social / online media analysis, social business, Strategy, , , , , ,

April 21, 2011 • 2:32 pm 0

Social web and social change: from the personal to the political and back again

[Originally published in Munting Nayon Magazine for the Filipino community in the Netherlands]

I’ve been writing a lot about how the social web has become an inherent part of this generation’s politicisation and mediation of the world. Actually, it’s helping everyone of all ages from all over to see the world from different perspectives in ways that are fast, easy, and in most cases, real-time. It’s contributing profoundly to the development of a networked way of thinking, observing and doing. For example, social technologies help expose people to various societal problems and current events, so much so that local issues become global concerns. This has become evident in the way we’ve experienced the social uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and all across the Arab world. Likewise, it has impacted how natural calamities are seen and reported, and its stories documented, shared and remembered. The recent natural disasters that devastated New Zealand and Japan attest to this new way of understanding and mediating the events that happen around us.

Whether suffering and tragedies are turned into mere spectacles is another matter. By the same token, though there are various levels of accessibility to the social web, it’s not a part of the everyday life of the majority of the world’s poorest sectors. However, what many critics of social media miss is that while the media and tools are new, the social is not. Neither is the end goal of transformation. For this is ultimately one, if not the most compelling aspect, of the social web’s existence and development: mediating and remediating our experience of the world and our relationships, and changing ourselves in the process.

Here are a few of my favourite examples of how the social web is interwoven in our day-to-day political, work or personal experiences. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Digital worlds, e-democracy, Ideas, Philippines, Social / online media analysis, , , ,

February 18, 2011 • 11:37 am 2

Digital and social activism: no small change

The social upheaval that exploded in Tunisia and Egypt is spreading across the Arab World. At the time of this writing, dissent is snowballing in Libya, Bahrain and Iran.

In the wake of these extraordinary events, a myriad of discussions on the role the Internet and the social web has emerged. Cyber-utopians are praising Twitter and Facebook to the heavens; cyber-sceptics are pooh-poohing the contribution of social networks in spawning social change.

While I would never use ‘Twitter revolution’ or ‘Facebook revolution’ to describe these social uprisings, I would also neither dismiss nor trivialise the role of social media in social transformation. Social media is not the alpha and omega of causes and revolutions, but it is an inherent part of this generation’s politicisation and experience of social change. Instead of simply shrugging it off, real critics (and not cynics) should call for a more thorough review of how exactly the social web was used by the groups and organisations behind these movements just like what the Meta-Activism Project is doing.

Social media allergy
I’m struck, though, by the growing allergy to the idea that social platforms can help carry out democratic change. It’s one thing to cast a critical eye and not romanticise this notion, but it’s a totally different story to be cynical and outright dismissive. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Digital worlds, e-democracy, Ideas, Politics, Social / online media analysis, , , , , , , , ,

November 15, 2010 • 12:55 pm 5

Social media as platforms for good governance

Here’s my take on the furor in the Philippines over Mislang’s Twitter fiasco and the recent moves to regulate the use of social networks by government employees. This whole issue goes beyond an individual’s mistakes; turning to mere regulation of social networks is the worst way to move forward.

Highlights:

» The Aquino administration should renew its social media policies, but it should do so as part of an overall review of their social media strategy…or is there even one in place?

» The Twitter fiasco by Mislang has been met with relentless, severe and sometimes cruel condemnation by both allies and opposition of Aquino. While I share the criticism and rejoice in social media’s ability to amplify public criticism, I must also warn against cybercitizens’ fascination with the ‘digital scarlet letter’.

» The Aquino administration has the chance to elevate social media use in government from a communications and PR tool to that of a relevant platform for good governance. However, mere regulation of the use of social media networks by government employees is the wrong way to begin.

=======
Carmen Mislang, speechwriter of President Benigno Aquino, Jr. and part of the contingent of the state visit to Vietnam, got into hot water a few weeks ago after posting several ‘undiplomatic’ tweets on her personal Twitter account. This prompted Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang to temporarily put tweeting by his staff on hold, while he reviewed social media guidelines for Twitter (and possibly also look into Facebook guidelines as well).

If the Philippine government is serious with social media, then renewing social media policies is just one item in the long list of things to do. And it doesn’t even fall under the initial steps.

I hope Secretary Carandang won’t mind considering some of my insights on social media and governance. If he were a client of mine, I’d ask him to consider three points. The short version:

1. Focus on strategy before tools. Renew their whole social media policy (not just Twitter’s but all their social media channels), but only as part of a bigger review of their overall social media strategy and social media governance.

2. Engage in meaningful conversations amidst public critique. Deal with negative online perception by conversing with the public within the social web itself. Be present where your critiques converge, face the ugly remarks, respond with honesty, and be transparent about how government plans to move forward in this (and other such) cases.

3. Think not just ‘social media’, but ‘social government’. Clearly define social media’s role in (good) governance and democracy. Make this the framework for developing a social media strategy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Culture, Digital worlds, e-democracy, Ideas, Philippines, Social / online media analysis, social business, , , , , , , ,

November 7, 2010 • 8:37 pm 1

Practicing the social in social media

[Note: This article was originally published in Munting Nayon Magazine and was meant as an introductory piece on the importance of properly drawing up social media strategy and policies.]

Social technologies are revolutionising society.

You’ve probably heard this before and shook your head in dismissal of the idea. Surely, the word ‘revolutionary’ doesn’t apply to posting so-called ‘status updates’, sharing content and ‘liking’ what your friends have to say. But before you condemn the social web to the list of yet another run-of-the-mill and overrated next big thing, think again.

Today’s social web is revolutionary not because it’s new, but rather because of the new and unexpected ways people are using it. It’s groundbreaking not because of its innate technological prowess, but because it’s capable of helping releasing the radical potential of users and events.  Social media is changing, right before our very eyes, the way we organise and interact with each other. It’s changing in profound ways we think and behave, even leaving its footprints on politics and economics. I’ve written about this in the past, citing the role of social media in business (how it helps build brands and conversations) and in political-socio affairs such as the elections in Iraq and the US, the promotion of citizen journalism, and supporting causes among others.

Social means conversations not monologues
The recent Manila hostage crisis that gripped the country last August 23, 2010 once again showed just how tightly the social web is intertwined with our personal and national life. It played a big part in spreading information, fuelling feedback (ranging from genuine sympathy to acerbic criticism and downright shock and anger) and moulding the way the story unfolded even after the event has passed.

You might have already heard about how some students and police officers posed to have their picture taken in front of the wrecked tourist bus. This sparked shocked reactions from both Pinoys and Chinese alike to the insensitivity of Filipinos to the hostage crisis turned tragedy. Comments flooded Twitter and Facebook, and there were even some anti-Filipino Facebook pages that were set up in response to this incident. However, what I deem more interesting is the way the administration handled online criticism hurled at Noynoy’s Facebook page.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: e-democracy, Philippines, Politics, Social / online media analysis, social business, , , ,

July 14, 2009 • 9:06 am 0

DigiActive releases “The Digital Activism Survey Report 2009″

digiactive_report

DigiActive created this survey as an attempt to gather the first international demographic data on the group called “digital activists”. DigiActive defines this group as composed of “…people who use digital technology as part of grassroots campaigns for social and political change.”

I haven’t read it yet, but will post my thoughts once I do. You can download the report from DigiActive’s site and give your feedback to survey@digiactive.org.

Filed under: Digital worlds, e-democracy, ,

July 9, 2009 • 2:02 pm 2

Democratising and socialising data to empower the public domain – other examples

This serves more as an appendix to the main articles I’ve written on the subject. I plan to update this list of best practices in e-democacy / e-governance / open civic governance / gov 2.0.  I’ve already listed some inspiring initiatives in part 3 of the main article, but I know there are a lot more out there. I’ve come across several, but need to look them up more closely. Please leave in the comments area other examples you’d like to have added in the list.

==================

The Federal IT Dashboard

Radical transparency — Obama’ administration is walking the walk. Vivek Kundra, US National Chief Information Officer, unveiled the Federal IT Dashboard. Gov 2.0 at work! Data democratized ;-) First heard of this via Radar O’Reilly, which is a very good source for all things e-democracy.

The dashboards enable ...”federal agencies and the general public to view details of federal information technology investments.”

“…The dashboards provide a view of spending by major government department, with graphs showing performance against schedule, costs, and the CIO’s assessment of how well they are meeting their objectives.
In making this data publicly available, we are providing unfettered access to investment performance to its true owners – the American people.”

Federal IT Dashboard

Read again:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Filed under: Digital worlds, e-democracy, Politics, , ,

March 19, 2009 • 12:13 am 6

Democratising and socialising data to empower the public domain – part 3/3

Some inspirations

Digital Public Square of the District of Columbia
Vivek Kundra, America’s Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO), spearheaded this project when he was still the Chief Technology Officer of D.C. This portal allowed online access to different government data and services, making it easier for the public to interact with the federal government. A major part of this project was the innovation contest, ‘Apps for Democracy’, where D.C. released its database to the public and encouraged talented technologists and creatives to create the most useful applications from DC’s Data Catalog.

The result: 47 applications ranging from web applications, widgets, Google Maps mash-ups, iPhone apps, Facebook apps, and other digital utilities were developed, representing $2,000,000+ in value and a 4000% ROI. http://www.istrategylabs.com/government-20-the-rise-of-citizen-innovation-through-open-data/

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Digital worlds, e-democracy, Politics, Social / online media analysis, , , , ,

March 19, 2009 • 12:07 am 3

Democratising and socialising data to empower the public domain – part 2/3

Starting points for practicing E-democracy

“A democracy requires accountability, and accountability requires transparency.
As Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.””
(Memorandum of the Freedom of Information Act by Barack Obama)

In a nutshell, good governance operating within the E-democracy framework should seek to:

• Democratise data to enhance civic participation. Provide citizens real access to relevant information and the actions they can take. It’s not just about dissemination of information but democratization: genuine access to data that the public sector can built on to make it more relevant for their everyday lives or bring them closer to making informed decisions on issues.

• Bring government to the people, wherever they are. Utilise new media tools and strategy to make government services more effective, accessible, and transparent. Social networking and microblogging are becoming part of the daily media diet, so governmental institutions should start utilising these tools.

• Encourage accountability through transparency. Acknowledge, assess, and embrace social media.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: e-democracy, Politics, Social / online media analysis, , , , ,

March 19, 2009 • 12:02 am 1

Democratising and socialising data to empower the public domain – part 1

This month’s article is brought to you by the letter ‘E’ and ‘D’ —‘E’ for ‘electronic’, ‘D’ for ‘democracy’.

Taken apart, they each constitute a vast body of meanings. Google them and you’ll get 471,000,000 hits for ‘electronic’ and 67,800,000 for ‘democracy’. Taken together, these words take on a new meaning that definitely outweighs the sum of their parts.

E-democracy thrives in a framework that acknowledges the Internet and other forms of digital technology as political media; each one possessing the radical potential to drive democratic processes and be transformed in return.

The word ‘democracy’ is derived from the Greek word ‘demos’ (people) and ‘kratos’ (rule / strength). There are many detailed definitions and forms of democracy, but in general it’s founded on the principles that:

  • All citizens enjoy universally recognised equal freedoms and liberties.
  • All citizens have equal access to political, social, cultural and economic power and decision-making.

Decision-making is a collective endeavour and requires direct involvement by “…all residents of a particular geographical area and of a viable population size beyond a certain age of maturity (to be defined by the citizen body itself) and irrespective of gender, race, ethnic or cultural identity. (Wikipedia, 2009)

Put democratic intent into the realm of the electronic and you’ll get a new way of looking at the ABCs of data: Accessibility (who gets access to data), Bureaucracy (who and what structures control the production and distribution of data), and Consciousness (what kind of information is being disseminated). This framework impacts the whole question of how information can be harnessed and put to use in the digital era, specifically with the onset of Web 2.0.

Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: e-democracy, Politics, Social / online media analysis, , , , ,

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analyst, poet, dream-dweller. a.k.a. 'delunna'

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