Jeremiah headed to Podtech!

This is a bittersweet post, it’s also a bit awkward as I’m traveling on vacation right now through Asia. I’m currently in Hong Kong but have some important news to share…

Deployed Social Media
Over the last year, I’ve been very thankful to have the opportunity to deploy social media at Hitachi Data Systems, (which I called the Community Marketing program). we’ve launched thought leader blogs, user forums, and other tools that reach to customers for an open dialogue that will help us to listen to customers and build better products and services. My title is Online Community Marketing Manager, most see this role called Community Manager evolving at many, many companies.

A Corporate Response is Community Marketing
This new medium is called Social Media and it’s about people. The corporate response is called “Community Marketing”, a term I attempted to define in late 2005, (a rehash of a practice that has existed in practice for thousands of years). The biggest change and challenge is the power shift to the participants that yield these tools.

There’s been MANY folks that have helped out with the program, so in no way am I trying to take credit for everything that happened, in fact, a community manager should line-up the right people at a company with the right prospects and customers to make a community marketing program happen –more on this later.

A conversation with John Furrier
A few weeks ago, I was chatting with John Furrier (Podtech CEO and Business Podcasting early adopter) about how it was interesting the direction that Podtech was headed being a place where news is breaking.

Within a few days, we had some discussions and I came in to chat with the team, I feel that not only I but the team and I see a great fit here and I can’t wait to get my hands dirty.

With great pride, I’m happy to announce that later this month, I’ll be starting a new role at Podtech as Director of Corporate Media Strategy.

Evolving the conversation and preparing for practice
I’m hoping I can be a community resource to companies that want not only to understand “What” and “Why” to use social media but to help answer “HOW” to deploy. At many of the conference, speeches, and workshops folks talk about why blogging is great, what happens if you’re not listening or if you’re unauthentic –the conversation has progressed beyond that, and now we must answer the “How” as community managers enter this new era of practice.

Community Managers and folks that deploy need to have in depth understanding of the tools, how to facilitate internal conversations and naysayers, and how to measure success. Although I’ve not mapped out my official program charter or 30/60/90 day plan, A few of my goals are to:

• Continue to be a Community resource to companies deploying social media.
• Help corporate folks who are deploying social media with strategic and tactical deployment plans.
• Help out with the podtech.net site as it continues to evolve.
• Build partnerships with many of my friends and peers who deploy social media.
• Assist in understanding new tools, hunting for the elusive metrics, and real user profile.
• Learn from the greats such as John Furrier, Jennifer Jones of Marketing Voices, Irina Slutsky, Maryam Scoble, and Robert Scoble.
• Meet as many movers and shakers in the industry, stay close to the hub of the action.
• Always be flexible and have fun, learn, and be human.

Staying Close to Hitachi Data Systems
I’m very grateful to the folks at Hitachi Data Systems, our own CTO Blogger Hu Yoshida has offered to take me and my wife out to dinner. This goes to show that not only does a community marketing professional need to know the medium, but they need to work closely and support the thought leaders in an organization to adopt social media.

I have to admit, I was very fortunate to have such a committed executive (and other thought leaders in the blogs and forums) that were willing to have an open and Naked Conversation with customers. Thanks Hitachi, It was a great three years!

(picture of Maryam Scoble and I at a Podtech Breakfast workshop on corporate podcasting and blogging)

This entry was posted on Monday, November 6th, 2006 at 2:44 pm and is filed under Community Marketing, Events, Hitachi, Podtech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.